(New) Tomorrow's Romance Dawn
by OtakuWithHazelEyes
Summary: The Straw Hats have left Drum, ready to take on Baroque Works in Alabasta. However, upon making a pit stop at a 'mystery island', they come across something they never expected to find: an older Zoro! Now they must locate the rest of the future crew, as well as keep an ancient treasure out of the hands of bounty hunters. (NOW CONTINUED ONLY ON AO3)
1. Prologue: Yesterday's Lonely Night!

**So.**

 **After much thought, I have decided to start posting my edits here on this site. I will still be posting on AO3 as well if that's more your cup of tea.**

 **While I still despise this site's formatting, I couldn't think of any other good reasons to stay off it. Plus, a large number of my readers (as they find it appropriate to remind me) prefer reading stories here as opposed to AO3.**

 **Yeah, the number of complaints I've been getting via anonymous reviews has played a small factor in my decision. Some were better than others, but I think I get the gist of it now.**

 **This is the ONLY time I'm complying with reviewer complaints. I don't want to hear any more the old arguments popping up:**

 **Yes, there are OCs in my story.**

 **Yes, I find them necessary. As Oda has proved numerous times, the world of One Piece does not revolve around the Straw Hats. There are other people with their own backstories and issues.**

 **So whether you're reading here or on AO3, sit back, enjoy, and be sure to review!**

* * *

三

 ** _Prologue:_** ** _Yesterday's Lonely Night! A New Adventure Starts Come Dawn!_**

* * *

All things considered, it was a beautiful night.

This night the moon had chosen to be in its crescent phase, and the constellations were cresting over the northern sky. The air carried the warm balminess of a summer evening, which was a pleasant change from the winter chills that had been persisting the last few days. It was a night Siobhan would truly enjoy under other circumstances.

Too bad she was in a cage and surrounded by assholes.

"You seem to like making a nuisance of yourself, don't you, girl?" the lead asshole huffed as his assistant placed a bandage on his nose.

"Hold still, sir," she droned.

Siobhan ignored the question, taking in her new surroundings. "Was the cage _really_ necessary?"

"Was biting me five times _really_ necessary?!"

"I asked first!"

One of the lead asshole's men stepped forward and jerked his thumb towards his boss. "Biting aside, considering I had to physically pull you off him and that took a full freaking _ten minutes,_ I'm going to say to yes. I'm surprised his nose is still attached."

Siobhan recognized this man as the one who captured her in the jungle. He was even holding her staff! She shot him a dirty glare, but he just stood there with a smirk, his blood-red eyes nearly glowing in the light of his group's torches.

"Thanks again for that, Vaughan," Boss said, stepping up next to him.

"No problem, Boss."

"Now that that's settled, we can get to the matter at hand." Boss knelt down in front of her cage until he was at eye-level with her. "Tell me the truth, girl. Is this the lost island of Kāla?"

Siobhan didn't reply, crossing her arms and intensifying her glare.

"Listen. Despite your actions against us we're not going to hurt you. We just need you to cooperate until we meet our goal…" He paused for moment. "…after which we'll probably be forced kill you though. We can't have you spreading the word about what we do here."

Another member of the Boss' group, a tall woman with a floppy mohawk, whacked him upside the head. "Boss, you just contradicted yourself again! We talked about this!"

Boss ignored her, though he did look a little peeved that she struck him.

"Boss, we are _not_ killing a _twelve-year-old_ ," Blood Eyes, Vaughan, scolded. "Can we at least _try_ to pretend to be the good guys here?"

"Didn't know you cared so much about being the 'good guy,' Vaughan," Boss chuckled.

"I don't, but I feel we should hold ourselves to some sort of standard. You know, separate ourselves from the pirates."

"We'll discuss it later. But we will end up killing her."

"You did it again!" the mohawked woman yelled.

Siobhan blew her bangs out of her face. She could not _believe_ she let herself get captured by these jackasses. And her day had been going so well too! She had been so excited when she felt two ships enter the boundaries of the Fog, expecting stories and amusing shenanigans to follow. How did it go so wrong?

"Sorry about our boss," Blood Eyes said, leaning against the cage. "He's just a little excited. He's been searching for this legendary island for a long time."

"It is true," an approaching woman in frilly, gothic clothing added. She was followed closely by a feral-looking man in ragged clothes. "We have had to put up with him blathering on about it ever since he hired us."

"A decision you would be wise to not make me regret," Boss growled at her. He turned back to Siobhan. "Just answer me. Is this island's name Kāla, or isn't it? It's a very simple question."

Siobhan scowled. Even if they were all total assholes, she would not deny the name of this island.

"Yes," she muttered. "This is Kāla, the Island that Skips through Time."

Boss' tired expression vanished as it was overtaken by a near-maniacal grin.

"I knew it. I _knew_ it!" He stood and addressed his men. "After all these years of searching, we've made it! You will all receive the recognition and fortune owed to you, and I will never again be mocked by the ranks of the Navy! The World Government will have no choice but acknowledge us for our deeds! Soon, the _Star of Kāla_ will be _ours_!"

The small army of men all cheered, raising firsts and weapons in the air.

Siobhan felt her heart skip a beat. She only understood half of that little speech- she never could get her past visitors to explain further about what the World Government and Navy were- but the fact they knew one of the names _it_ was called was alarming. She had never mentioned it to any of her visitors. How did Boss know?!

"Dude, you have issues," the feral man snickered.

Boss turned to the four closest to him. "Runo, Erity, Yari, Vaughan! Start gathering the men together. A small contingent will remain here to set up our base camp, but I want everyone else to start search for the Star!"

"Why do _we_ have to _search_?" the mohawked woman, Erity, whined. "Can't we just ask the kid?"

They all glanced at Siobhan, who responded by sticking out her tongue and pulling down her eyelids.

"Something tells me that will not end well," the gothic woman, Yari, said. "She would as soon bite Boss again before answering."

"Want me to... _convince_ her?" the feral man, Runo, said with a grin. "She's a spunky little thing- she could easily join the ranks of my new toys."

Siobhan's eyes darted behind the group, where three eerily still individuals stood with blank expressions and glassy eyes.

She snarled. "Those people are not toys, you sicko! Let them go!"

Runo shrugged. "Maybe I will, _if_ you tell us where we can find the Star."

Siobhan remained quiet.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." He turned to Boss. "Well, should I?"

"It wouldn't do you any good," Blood Eyes answered before Boss could. "You were off collecting your _toys_ when Erity and I faced her. Your Devil Fruit abilities won't have any more of an effect on her than mine did. Her will is too strong."

His comment got Siobhan a few confused faces from the assorted mooks, but no one made any attempt to clarify.

Yari gave Siobhan a creepy smile. "You are an interesting little girl. Tell me, how you would like to be one of my new dolls? It is far preferable to being Runo's."

"What did I _just_ say?"

"The girl will have a purpose later, even if she won't aid us in our search," Boss broke in, pulling Yari back. "And if her will is truly as strong as Vaughan claims, then we will have better luck claiming the Star on our own then getting any more information from her."

As Boss continued going over his master plan with the troops, the captive girl fumed. Damn right, she wasn't going to tell them! She would sooner die than betray everything her people had spent years trying to achieve, especially to a bastard on a power trip!

Siobhan still couldn't believe this was happening. In all the years she guarded the island, no one had ever gotten this far in stealing the Star. Why had the Fog even let them through? It was usually pickier with visitors-

Siobhan froze as a familiar shiver ran down her back. More familiar than usual- she'd had this _exact_ same feeling just that morning. And yet, at the same time, it was...

 _... Oh_ , she thought. _Oh, that_ is _new_.

"… We'll have Alpha Unit handle that area," Boss was saying. "In the meantime, take Gamma Unit with you to begin combing the island. I want Kāla's treasure by next dawn."

" _Nishishishi_ …"

Carrion went rigid at the sound of high-pitched laughter. Immediately everyone turned their gaze to Siobhan, then back to Boss, then all cautiously took five steps back.

"Just _what_ is so funny, little girl?" Boss said in an _icy_ voice, not looking at her.

" _Nishishi._ The fact you actually think you're going to succeed that soon, if at all, 'Boss.'" Siobhan stood and grasped the bars of her cage. "There's a reason nobody's claimed the treasure yet, and it's not just because this island is so damn hard to find."

"Don't underestimate me," Boss growled.

"I'm not. I can sense you're at least _moderately_ strong," Siobhan clarified. "But none of those reasons are even the ones why you're going to fail. No, that's going to be because of the _others_."

His eyes narrowed. "Others?"

"Yes, others. They will arrive at the island after the next daybreak." She closed her eyes. "I can sense them, like I was able sense everyone that arrived here today. Call it a gut feeling, but I doubt they'll let you do what you want."

"Do you know who it is?" Erity asked curiously.

"Oh, just more of the same," Siobhan replied. "The same, but also different."

Giving an enraged roar, Boss slammed his fist into cage, knocking it over but miraculously not damaging it. Siobhan grunted when she bumped against the ground and cold metal bars, but was otherwise unharmed.

"Saffron! Contact Oakes and the hunters aboard the Silverback!" Boss hollered at his assistant. "I want them sailing the perimeter of the island, and if they see anyone else, to _sink them on sight!_ And would someone get Jan on the freaking line?!"

"Right away, sir," Saffron said with a bow.

With that, Boss stormed away from the cage and into the crowd, probably to start preparing for the search. Runo, Yari, and Erity followed, but Blood Eyes stayed behind. He shook his head in exasperation before bending over and setting the cage upright.

"Shouldn't have laughed at him. He hates that," he said.

Siobhan scoffed. "Whatever."

Blood Eyes huffed a laugh and raised an eyebrow at her. "So… _others_ , huh?"

Siobhan eyes him warily. "Yeah. What of it?"

He grinned at her, the first sincere smile she'd seen yet.

"Sounds like fun," he said.

Siobhan stared at him in disbelief for a few seconds, then rolled her eyes and turned away.

 _We'll see, now won't we?_ she thought. _Kāla wouldn't reveal itself, much less for the more of the same, for no reason._

She glanced over Runo's "toys," who still stood at attention off to the side. She memorized their faces, then turned her gaze to a sky that was already starting to lighten.

 _Let's see what this dawn will bring._

* * *

三

 **The Otaku With Hazel Eyes Presents...**

 **With Characters from the Brilliant Mind of Eiichiro Oda...**

 **Back After Years of Inactivity...**

三

三

三

 _ **TOMORROW'S ROMANCE DAWN**_


	2. Theme: We Are Hope

**NOTES FROM AO3:**

 **Hey, everyone! The school year is coming to close and with final projects on top of applying to internships, I haven't had a whole lot of time to work on my edits! I did, however, have a little time today to work on a little side project I already had mostly done- a written out opening for the story. I used the newest opening for the anime, "Hope," because it surprisingly fit (if you know whose point of view the singing is supposed to be coming from- which I do). The lyrics are the English ones created by LeeandLie on youtube.**

 **Enjoy, and you should see more from me soon!**

* * *

三

 _Opening: We Are Hope!_

* * *

 _ **This love in my heart it will burn on forever**_

(Past Luffy runs across the main foyer of Drum Castle, leaping up into air and punching Wapol away from Nami, who's pinned on the ground.)

 _ **Granting me courage, I hope it will never stop**_

(As soon as Past Luffy lands on the ground, his leg sweeps across the shot, shifting it to Piriodo where Future Luffy aims a kick at Z's arm. He jumps off it and throws a Gum-Gum Pistol at him.)

 _ **No matter where you are, nothing is too far**_

(Future Luffy's fist sweeps across the camera, shifting it to a void filled with shimmering rainbow colored fog. The two Luffys are now standing with their backs to each other, observing the fog curiously.)

 _**With our everlasting bonds, we will reach it, we are hope!**_

(The Luffys try to reach out touch the phenomenon, but seem to realize the other is there. They turn on their heels to face each other, and as they reach to take the other's hand, they disperse into fog.)

 _ **Title card: Tomorrow's Romance Dawn**_

(The fog breaks apart entirely to reveal the title card. In the background is a large tropical island, painted in the red light of dawn.)

 _ **I'm so truly grateful I ran into you on that day so long ago**_

(Shot transitions to an aerial pan over the Going Merry, then closing in to go over her entire exterior before ending with a view of her bow and figurehead from a slight distance.)

 _ **We laughed every moment with tears in our eyes 'til we knew we weren't alone**_

(The past Straw Hats are all on the Merry's deck. Zoro is doing curl-ups on one of the upper railings. Nami and Vivi are sitting at a table, receiving snacks from an adoring Sanji. Usopp is working with a chemistry set. Luffy and Chopper are laughing as they roughhouse with Carue. Shot ends on a close-up of Luffy's smiling face.)

 _ **The blowing wind came in and joined us on our way, Aah**_

(Luffy stretches his arm up to the crow's nest, pulling himself up and swinging in a circle around the top of the mast, near the flag. Usopp and Chopper look up at him and wave at him excitedly.

 _ **And with it I know we'll rise, we'll be flying up high**_

(The scene briefly flashes to the smiling faces of others before suddenly, the Merry is swallowed up by darkness. The scene ends with Luffy looking surprised before tumbling off the mast, reaching for the sky as he falls into nothingness. His hat flutters in the wind.)

 _ **Why- tell me why are you giving up? Why- tell me why you want to fight alone?**_

(Luffy is running though the darkness, chasing after his hat. He is constantly hindered by the shadowed figures of future Straw Hats. Brook waves at him as he walks in the opposite direction, and Luffy is forced to leapfrog over Franky. Robin helpfully prevents him from toppling over while Future Chopper nearly trips himself while trying to walk backwards and watch Luffy.)

 _ **Hey, what kind of future do you think you have?**_

(Luffy nearly manages to snatch his hat, but is stalled when Future Usopp this time leapfrogs over him. Future Nami and Future Sanji both just walk past him, though Nami ruffles his hair fondly as he passes.)

 _ **Your dream is already in your hands!**_

(Past Luffy stumbles again, but he is caught by Future Zoro who then pushes him forward. The hat is vanishes into a white light in the darkness, but Luffy still picks up speed and reaches out towards the white light. Before the light completely whites out the scene, there is a brief glimpse of a tall figure in a wide, orange hat with his back to the rubberman in the light's center.)

 _ **This love in my heart it will burn on forever**_

(Snippets of fights are shown. First is a brief scene of Luffy running through a jungle, a thoroughly pissed off expression on his face. Second is aboard the Going Merry, where Sanji aims multiple rapid kicks at the Future Zoro's head, only for the latter to block each one with the hilt of his sword)

 _ **Granting me courage, I hope it will never stop**_

(Third is a comedic scene of Past Nami and Future Usopp running through a jungle- an angry woman with glowing red eyes and sharp teeth chases them at breakneck speed. Fourth is Brook running along a railing and clashing swords a woman in purple with Soul Solid, frost and wispy pink energy coming off the blades in droves and lighting up the dark.)

 _ **No matter where you are, nothing is too far**_

(Fifth, there is a brief scene of members of the crew, past and future, being surrounded by limbs growing from nearby walls and pink petals. They look terrified- except the future ones and Past Luffy, who is in the background being tickled. Sixth, Luffy is once again shown charging through the jungle, ramming through multiple people who are armed to the teeth and pieces of debris that are in his way.)

 _ **With our everlasting bonds, we will reach it, we are hope!**_

(Past Luffy jumps into the air, arm reared back, towards an enlarged image of Boss Carrion, who flanked on either side by a group of similar-looking shadowed woman and a shadowed man who is warping the landscape.)

 _ **On the horizon out on the edge of the world**_

(An aerial shot of a large pirate ship with twin mermaid figureheads is shown as it sails through bright blue water, before cutting to a young girl with red hair standing on a cliff overlooking it.)

 _ **There is a place I want to take you to**_

(The girl is only shown from the mouth down, but she turns and walks away from the cliff, the ship in the background dissipating into the barrier of fog.)

 _ **Let's head for it then, but as for the way, we already know**_

(The girl approaches a sparkling white city, heading towards a mosaic of a brilliant blue seven-pointed star floating above the image of a tentacle beast. Around the beast are three different symbols resembling an eye, a sword, and a set of scales. She raises her hand to it…)

 _ **We promised it long ago.**_

(The small tan hand morphs into a larger pale one as it touches the mosaic. It is now night, and the scene zooms to show Robin standing in front of the large piece of art, her back to the camera. The brilliant white city is now simply old, crumbling ruins, and a fallen pillar lays on the ground not far from the archaeologist.)

 _ **-Musical Interlude-**_

(Multiple shots shift through this part. First is a brief shot on the Going Merry- Past Zoro and Future Zoro are on deck, staring each other down. Next is a brief shot of Runo and Yari stalking forward, but they are both in shadows- Yari has a pink glowing sword laying on her shoulder, while Runo is smiling sadistically with eyes glowing iridescently. This is followed by a brief shot of four shadowed figures standing in an uneven line, all with blank white eyes- a woman with a staff, a man with a lit cigarette, and a tiny creature, and one larger than the other three combined. Next is a quick scene of Usopp staring up at the Thousand Sunny with a serious expression, then a close-up shot of Erity- the camera moves so only half her face is visible, and when she opens her eye in the background are two silhouettes; one of a child who stands above a wounded person laying on their stomach. Then a shot of Vivi and Robin from a side view is shown- Vivi is in her Princess outfit, while Robin is dressed as Miss All Sunday, and the background is an image of the Gates of Justice. Then there is a shot of Vaughan, shown briefly walking with one hand in his pocket and the other clutching his medallion, somehow ignoring the raging inferno behind him. The last shot is a simple side view of Siobhan from the shoulders up, while in the background there is a still image of a much younger Siobhan horsing around with a young boy with dark skin and hair.)

 _ **You scream but your voice, it can't break through the silence.**_

 _ **Feeling defeated it crushes your helpless heart**_

(The scene is now in a dark cave, lit dimly by green crystals. Past Luffy is sitting on the ground, covered completely in bandages and his hat laying unceremoniously off to the side. He is breathing heavily and his hands are bleeding. A little ways away from him, with her back to the camera, is Siobhan, standing squarely and holding a long metal staff topped with a blue sphere that is wrapped in gold leaves.)

 _ **I've got your back- I swear, I'll always be here**_

(The shot briefly shows a close-up of Luffy's face. He is snarling like an animal, and tears are flowing from his wild eyes. It shifts to a close-up of Siobhan. She looks stern and decidedly unimpressed, and almost reprimanding of the pirate. She shifts her staff so it's laying across her shoulders.)

 _ **Let's put all out faith within this light under the sun**_

(The scene quickly zooms out. Luffy jumps to his feet and charges at Siobhan, fist reared back. Siobhan charges as well, staff swinging and now shiny and black. Just before they can hit each other, the scene fades to white then shows a brief shot of the waving Straw Hat Jolly Roger.)

 _ **Can you close your eyes and just listen to my voice?**_

(The bounty hunters are shown demonstrating their moves. First is Runo, who spins and does a claw strike across the camera, his fingers leaving curling trails of iridescent energy. Next is Yari, who slides into view and does an extravagant parry with her sword, slashing across the camera- right before she moves out of view, glowing pink veins become visible on her skin. Third is Erity, who jumps into the shot while spinning in the air and then bringing her foot on the ground hard for a powerful kick- a large amount of debris flies in all directions.)

 _ **Let's find the answer together, I'm telling you-**_

(After Erity Vaughan slides into view, biting into his palm. He thrusts out his hand and from the wound shoots long, zig-zagging tendrils of opaque red crystal that overtake the screen. The shot shifts to a simple shot of a shadowed individual sitting cross-legged in front of a large rock, flanked on both sides by armed individuals, including a fishman in a martial arts stance and man covered in tattoos. The shadowed person smacks their hand against the rock and it bursts into liquid.)

 _ **In our path, I trust that it will lead us, to another sea uncharted-**_

 _ **-Because now we are hope!**_

(Boss Carrion, wielding a giant glaive, leaps forward in an attempt attack Past Luffy. He narrowly jumps out of the way and is about to fall backward. He is caught by several hands, and the camera pans out as Luffy turns to see a crowd made up of all his future allies up until the Fishman Island arc- ranging from Alabastan guardians to okama to merfolk. Luffy looks on in wonderment before turning and running forward.)

 _ **On the horizon out on the edge of the world-**_ _ **  
**_ _ **-There is a place I want to take you to**_

(An aerial shot is shown of a beach at mid-day, before focusing on a certain straw hat blowing around in the wind. It comes to rest at a pair of sandaled feet. A hand picks it up just as Past Luffy runs up, still apparently chasing after it from the earlier sequence. It is revealed to be Future Luffy, whose own hat is covering his eyes. )

 _ **Let's head for it then, but as for the way, we already know**_

(Future Luffy looks up and gives his younger self his signature grin- reminiscent of the time the pirate first gained the hat. He jams the straw hat on Past Luffy's head, pushing him backward a little. Past Luffy touches the brim, then adjusts the hat with a smile of his own.)

 _ **We promised it long ago.**_

(Past Luffy is shown from the front, arms crossed and smile firmly in place. On his left he is flanked by Zoro, Nami, and Usopp. On his right, Sanji, Vivi riding Carue, and Chopper in Heavy Point. Behind all of them is the Going Merry. They all give one last grin before all cuts to black.)


	3. Chapter 1: Voices in the Fog!

**NOTES FROM AO3:**

 **Changes from original: Some new dialogue, scene order has been altered, and the part with Siobhan has been rewritten entirely. It has changed a bit, but is same in its core.**

 **And in case anyone's curious, this takes place between Drum and Alabasta... and between Film Z and Punk Hazard.**

* * *

三

 ** _Chapter 1: Voices in the Fog! A Familiar Face Appears on the Mystery Island!_**

* * *

As far as mornings on the Grand Line go, it was looking to be a beautiful one. There was nary a cloud in the sky, the temperature was the perfect balance between dry and humid, and the waters were clear for miles. Of course, this _being_ the Grand Line, the weather was _extremely_ subject to change. Without the aid of an experienced navigator, any crew sailing this legendary sea would be in dire straits.

Thankfully for a certain pirate crew of up and coming rookies, they were not without their navigator. And it was all thanks to their new doctor.

"Well, it's safe to say the Kestia virus is officially out of your system, Nami!" Tony Tony Chopper said, putting away his tools. "You are one-hundred-percent disease free!"

"That's a relief," Nami said, getting up from her bed. "Thanks again for everything, Chopper. You're a great doctor."

"S-Shut up!" the little doctor stammered, wiggling joyfully. "It was Doctorine's medicine that cured you! I just helped you through the final stages of your recovery! Don't think complimenting me will make me happy, moron!"

 _You look happy to me,_ Nami thought with a sweatdrop. She chuckled. _I suppose we'll all just have to get used to that quirk._

Nami stretched her arms as she climbed up the stairs and out on to the Going Merry's main deck, Chopper in tow. She smiled, allowing herself to do a little spin around the mast as she took in the gorgeous weather with unlabored breathing.

It was hard to believe they'd left the cold Drum Island only two days ago, and even harder to believe she'd been dying during that time. She barely remembered anything from her sickness, making the experience seem all the more like a crazy dream. With the reindeer monster, witch doctor, trashcan king, and cherry blossom mountains, it certainly sounded like one.

But that was over and done now. She was healthy, Wapol was defeated, Chopper was a crewmate, and they were finally back on the water. The Straw Hat Pirates could finally focus on their real objective- getting Princess Nefertari Vivi to Alabasta and stopping the rebellion.

Still, there was no harm in a little celebration.

"Guess what, everyone!" Nami declared, raising her hands to the sky. "Your navigator is now, _officially_ , one hundred percent healthy!"

She immediately caught the attention of Sanji and Vivi, the latter being served a drink by the former at the deck table.

"That's wonderful, Nami!" Vivi said, clapping her hands together. "I'm glad you're doing better!"

" _Nami-swaaaan~!_ " Sanji sang, twirling over to her. "I'm so happy you've returned to complete health, my angel! I hope we never have to go through such a trial ever again!"

"Sanji, stop dancing around!" Chopper scolded him. "Your back is still healing! Do you _want_ to be paralyzed for the rest of your life? "

The scolding _probably_ would have had a stronger effect on the cook had Chopper not been hiding the wrong way behind the mast while saying it. Sanji and Nami shared a glance before turning back to the human-reindeer.

"... Isn't that backwards?" Sanji asked.

Chopper's fur bristled, but he did correct himself so that just his eye was visible.

"Better, but I've already seen you."

Chopper yelped and hid all the way behind the mast. Sanji just stood there, baffled, while Nami sighed and sat down next to Vivi at the table.

Vivi leaned in close to Nami's ear. "I guess Tony is still a little nervous around Sanji, huh."

"What do you expect? He _did_ try turn the poor thing into venison," Nami said with a snort. "Sanji, can I get one of those drinks?"

"Right away, Nami my dear!"

Sanji went to fetch Nami's drink, and it was around this time the rest of the crew paid attention to Nami's arrival. The resident swordsman, Roronoa Zoro, was nowhere to be seen, but Monkey D. Luffy and Usopp approached from where they'd been playing a game of tag with Vivi's super spot-billed duck, Carue.

"Nami's all better?" Luffy asked. He rode on Carue's back. "Yosh! Then let's set course for Alabasta!"

"Quaawww!" Carue quacked in agreement.

"Luffy, we're _already_ on course for Alabasta," Usopp reminded him. "And I don't see why you're so excited! Have you forgotten that a freaking _warlord_ is after us?!"

"Yeah, I know!" Luffy said eagerly. "I'm going kick his ass! It's gonna be awesome!"

" _You_ may have a death wish, but I want live as long as physically possible. I'm only coming with to help Vivi stop the rebellion, that's it. I'll leave all the life-threatening battles to monsters like you and Zoro."

"Really? Thanks, Usopp!"

"Usopp, you don't have to worry about Crocodile, remember?" Nami huffed. "He doesn't know what you, Sanji, or Chopper look like."

"In fact, the whole crew doesn't have to worry about Crocodile, period. Here you go, Nami," Sanji added, returning with Nami's drink. He placed his hand proudly to his chest. "Thanks to my efforts in the wax bastard's house, the Straw Hat Pirates are dead as far as Crocodile's concerned."

"Yeah, _that'll_ last!" a voice scoffed loudly from the crow's nest.

"SHUT UP, MOSSHEAD!"

"I'm afraid Mr. Bushido has a point, Sanji," Vivi said before the fight could take off. "Mr. 0 didn't become as powerful as he is by being a fool. It's only a matter of time before he figures out we're still alive, so we need to be on our guard."

It was a bitter truth, but one most of the crew understood. Underestimating one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea had long since been proven to be a potentially fatal action- Zoro had done so and was nearly bisected for his efforts.

Chopper scuttled out from behind the mast, joining his crew at the deck table. He frowned in confusion.

"What do you all mean?" he asked. "What's a crocodile have to do with anything? Who's Mr. 0?"

The deck fell silent except for the sound of Luffy's laughter and Carue's caws.

In all the hubbub of the last few days, the crew had yet to inform their newest recruit the ship he signed on with held four people on a warlord's hit list. Even after they were safely away from Drum, they hadn't wanted to scare the little reindeer so early on his journey, given how much Luffy had to initially badger him to get him to join in the first place.

The pirates looked at each other, and since Luffy was currently trying to wrestle with Carue for some reason, they all simultaneously turned to Vivi.

"Oh, come on!" she complained.

"Sorry, my beloved princess, but as much as I adore escorting you, you _were_ the one who blurted out Crocodile's name to us to begin with," Sanji pointed. "It's only fair you let the little guy know what he's in for."

"Tell me _what_?" Chopper asked again. "What's going on, guys?"

"Uh, Tony... well, you see..." Vivi began. "Crocodile is-"

"Oi, Nami!" Zoro shouted down suddenly.

Vivi let out a breath of relief, grateful to be saved from an awkward explanation.

"What is it, Zoro?" Nami called back.

"You said we're not supposed to reach Alabasta for several more days, right?"

"Yeah, that's right! Why do you ask?"

"Then what's that big island-shaped blotch in the distance off the port side?"

Nami's eyes widened and she bolted for the port side of the Merry, grabbing a spyglass Usopp held out as she ran past him. Once there, she peered through it and sure enough, there was an island-shaped blotch in the distance. With the spyglass, she could see that it was not a blotch, but an actual island, enshrouded in fog.

"T-That island wasn't there before," Nami stammered. She looked to Vivi. "Vivi, are there supposed to any islands in this stretch of the Grand Line?"

Vivi shook her head as she rose from the table, joining the navigator at the railing. "No. I've traveled this area many times with Baroque Works- it's supposed to be open sea."

There was a heavy thud as Zoro jumped from the crow's nest and landed on his feet on the deck.

"Then where did that island come from?" he asked, walking up to the girls. "Because I'm telling you, I turned my head for a second and it appeared out of nowhere."

"How the hell should I know?! Islands don't just 'appear out of nowhere!'" Nami waved her wrist that wore the log pose. "The log isn't even pointing at it!"

"Cool!" Luffy exclaimed. He ran to the railing so fast, he had to catch himself on it to keep from going overboard. He grinned at his navigator. "A mystery island! Nami, let's go explore it!"

"No way, Luffy!" Usopp argued. "We don't know what's on that island! It's unnatural! For all we know, it could be haunted!"

"A haunted island?" Chopper echoed, his previous questions forgotten. "I didn't know islands could be haunted! What are those like, Usopp?"

Usopp's demeanor instantly shifted from one of cowardice to one of bravado. "They're islands where phantoms rule and the living dead walk freely. I remember conquering an entire chain of haunted islands, back when I was only five years old..."

" _WOW, REALLY_?" Chopper and Luffy gasped in awe.

"If you conquered a chain of haunted islands as a five-year-old, then why are you so scared to go to one as a..." Nami started to tease. She paused, looking thoughtful.

"Nami?" Sanji asked. "Something wrong?"

Nami cheeks went pink in embarrassment."... I can't believe I'm asking this, but how old _are_ you?"

"ARE YOU SAYING WE'VE BEEN TRAVELING TOGETHER FOR THIS LONG AND YOU'VE NEVER BOTHERED TO LEARN MY AGE?!" the sniper hollered.

"Considering everything that's happened to us since we joined the crew, there's never been a time where it came up," she admitted.

"I'm seventeen!" Usopp barked. "Geez!"

"So am I!" Luffy added. "In fact, I started my pirate journey on my birthday!"

"Oh, happy late birthday, Luffy!"

"Thanks, Usopp!"

"Nami's right, as always," Sanji said with an exhale of smoke. "We've been sailing together for a while now- it's ridiculous we don't know how old we all are. I'm nineteen, if anyone's curious."

"I'm eighteen," Nami sighed tiredly.

Vivi raised a hand. "I'm sixteen."

"I'm _pretty_ sure I'm fifteen," Chopper said, hoof on his chin. "Transition from reindeer years to human years is weird."

Carue quacked his response, but no one was really paying attention to him and Chopper would have been only one to understand anyway. Everyone looked expectantly at Zoro.

"What?" the swordsman asked.

"Everyone else said how old they are," Luffy prompted. "Now it's your turn."

Zoro rolled his eyes. "If it's that important to you, I'm nineteen years old. Just like the Love Cook."

"Seriously?!" Vivi gasped. "I thought you were older than that!"

"How old did you think I was?"

"I thought you were twenty five, at least!"

"Twenty _five_?!"

"Zoro _does_ have an older-looking face," Nami noted, smiling slyly. "Must be all the drinking he does."

"You drink just as much as I do!" Zoro snapped.

"You're the same age as me?" Sanji asked. He pointed his cigarette at the other man. "When's your birthday?"

"Why so curious, Cook? Should I be expecting a gift?"

"Just answer the question, Mosshead!"

"November 11th."

A long pause followed, before being shattered by the unbelievably _smug_ smirk that spread across the cook's face as he took a drag.

"I always thought you were immature, but this proves it," Sani said coolly. "Mine is March 2nd."

The crew's jaws dropped in awe. Zoro, the bulkier, taller, and, as recently stated, older-looking one of the two bickering rivals was actually the _younger_ one?

Zoro scowled, teeth grinding together. "Shut up."

Sanji only continued to smirk. "Oh Zoro-kun, is that anyway to speak to your elders?"

"I said _shut up_ , Love Cook!"

"Maybe I should have you start calling me Sanji- _sempai_."

"IN YOUR DREAMS, CURLY-BROWED BASTARD!"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"

Usopp, Nami, and Vivi all sweatdropped as the pair jumped into yet another of the daily brawls they'd been getting into since their little "contest" on Little Garden. Luffy, meanwhile, just laughed and Chopper immediately started yelling at Sanji for straining himself.

Vivi smiled wanly. "Business as usual. Anything will get those two in an argument."

"Both nineteen and still so stupid," Nami grumbled. "I can only hope they'll grow out of it soon. This is getting old."

Nami, busy muttering at her crewmates' inability to get along, didn't notice Zoro breaking off from the impromptu duel and walking back to the Merry's railing.

"Hey, where are you going?" Sanji demanded. "We're not done!"

"Yes, you are!" Chopper countered. "Do you have _any_ idea how hard it is to _realign a spine_?!"

Zoro chose to ignore the blond man, which, really, was his go-to response for anything he said aside from fighting. He looked over the side of the ship in the direction of the bow, then at Nami. "Nami, did you alter our course at all?"

"Of course not," Nami scoffed.

Zoro jerked his thumb to the side. "Then why have we suddenly picked up speed, and why are we suddenly sailing directly towards that mystery island?"

At the word 'island,' everyone's heads snapped towards the front of the Merry. They were now indeed sailing directly toward the mystery island, and said island was now very, very close.

"Crap!" Nami yelled, grasping the sides on her head in panic. "I was distracted by that stupid age discussion and we've completely gone off course! Sanji, Chopper, take the rudder! We need to make a 90 degree turn, now!"

"Right away, Nami-swan!"

"Okay, Nami!"

Sanji gleefully ran up the stairs and into the galley, followed closely by Chopper who had quickly shifted into Heavy Point. Nami tapped her foot rapidly, waiting for the lurch of a ship making a sudden turn. When nothing happened for several minutes, she lost her patience.

"Sanji, Chopper, what's taking so long?!" she screeched. "Hard to starboard, _now_!"

Chopper stuck his head out of the doorway. "We're pushing as hard as we can, but the rudder won't budge!"

"Push the damn thing even harder, then!"

"If we do that, it'll break!" Sanji's voice exclaimed from within the galley. "It's just like when we were going up Reverse Mountain!"

"Are you _kidding_ me?!" Nami wailed. "How did we get stuck in a _super_ _current_?!"

"I did warn you about the unpredictability of the Grand Line," Vivi reminded her.

Nami shot her a dirty glare. Vivi decided it was a good time to stay silent as she took a several steps back and leaned against Carue.

"Looks like we're going to the mystery haunted island after all," Luffy said obliviously. "This is great!"

The rubberman stretched out his arm, latching on to the figurehead's horn, and shot forward. He landed on Merry's head with practiced ease and plopped down in his 'special seat.'

" _Shishishi_ , I can't wait!" he giggled. "This is my first time visiting somewhere haunted!"

"Only you would get excited about being trapped in a freakishly strong current and forced to sail toward a haunted island, Luffy," Usopp said darkly.

"Aw, don't be like that! Hey, you said that the living dead were on haunted islands, right? Does that mean zombies?"

"Yeah…" Usopp replied warily. He went pale. "Luffy, what are you planning...?"

Luffy grinned. "Well, think about what it would be like having a zombie on the crew. Wouldn't that be fun?"

"ARE YOU _INSANE_?!" Nami screeched, teeth sharp and gnashing. "WE ARE _NOT_ INVITING A MEMBER OF THE LIVING DEAD TO JOIN THIS CREW!"

"But what if he also just happens to be... a _musician_ ," he offered. "We still need one, after all."

Nami was about ready to let Luffy know _exactly_ how she felt about such an offer, but Zoro wisely- or unwisely, depending on who you asked- stepped in front of her.

"Fine," Zoro deadpanned. "If we meet one of the undead who just _happens_ to be a musician, we'll take him into consideration. Is that fair, Captain?"

"Sounds good to me! You're the best, Zoro!"

Luffy resumed staring ahead at the island, blissfully unaware he had narrowly avoided the thief's wrath. Sanji and Chopper, who had returned to Brain Point, walked back down onto the deck.

"Sorry, Nami, I couldn't get the rudder to cooperate without risking snapping it in half," Sanji apologized. "Looks like we're going to that island whether we want to or not."

"Damn it all. I should be the one apologizing." Nami turned to Vivi with remorse. "I'm so sorry, Vivi. I guess we're making a slight detour."

Vivi waved it off while stroking Carue's ruffled feathers. "It's fine. You're an outstanding navigator, but even you can't control the currents. Look on the bright side- maybe we can scavenge for provisions while we're there. We can never have too many of those!"

"Brilliant thinking, my beautiful Vivi!" Sanji swooned. "A lady after my own heart!"

"Unless it's overrun by ghosts and zombies," Chopper said fearfully, hiding- once again the wrong way- behind the mast.

"One haunted island is no match for the Great Captain Usopp!" Usopp declared, though he was sweating profusely. "Bring it on!"

"I've never fought zombies before," Zoro remarked. He grinned wickedly. "Might be interesting."

It was settled. For better or worse, the Straw Hat Pirates were visiting the mystery- and possibly haunted- island.

"We're about to enter the fog!" Luffy announced.

The Going Merry did just that, sliding into the thick fog surrounding the land mass.

Had an outsider been watching, they would have seen the charming ship be swallowed entirely by the fog, vanishing without a trace.

* * *

三

* * *

It came out of nowhere- a sharp shiver down her spine that Siobhan had experienced dozens of times before, but never quite like this.

It had been a few hours since her conversation with the Boss. She didn't know where he went, but Mohawk New Woman, Feral Freak, and Doll Lady took a squad of hunters into the jungle to right after to begin the search. She was still trapped in her cage, set inside a tent that was doubling as an office. Someone had mockingly laid her staff across a desk in the far corner, well out of reach. She had been glaring at it when she felt the chill.

She shuddered- she'd never felt one so big before, not even when Mister Captain came for his visit. It put her on edge.

"What's up with you?" Blood Eyes asked as he entered the tent. He tossed her a peach he'd been carrying through the bars. "Here, breakfast."

Siobhan caught it. "A peach isn't breakfast. That's a side dish at best."

Vaughan shrugged and sat at the desk. "It's all Boss was willing to give you. I'll talk to him about it later."

"Why are you even here? I'm in a cage, I don't need a babysitter."

"We caught you trying to eat through the bars."

"You don't know if I would've succeeded!"

"The state of my boss' face tells me you probably would have."

Siobhan snarled and bit indignantly into her peach, purposely making the most disgusting noises she could as she chewed.

"Classy. Trust me, I'd rather be out there too, but I lost the coin toss. So here I am." Blood Eyes leaned back in his chair. "You didn't answer my question. What's up?

"Why sh'd I t'l you any'ng?" she groused, mouth full.

"Because I'm the only one around to listen right now, but fine, don't talk to me," he said, nonchalant. "I'm sure stewing in a cage is a _very_ productive use of the time you now have an abundance of."

When she didn't retort, he shrugged again before sitting up upright, pulling a pistol from his holster and a small box with a picture of a gun on its lid from the desk. He started taking his weapon apart, presumably to clean it with the tools he removed from the box.

Once she was sure Blood Eyes was engrossed in his work, Siobhan swallowed, stood, and gazed in the direction she knew the beach was in.

 _The others have entered the Fog,_ she thought. _Now, let's see if we'll have some of that 'fun' Blood Eyes was talking about_.

* * *

三

* * *

It was obvious from the get-go that this wasn't normal fog.

Normal fog was dark and gray. This fog was dark and gray as well, but within it, there were occasional bursts of color. Blues, greens, oranges, and pinks swirled in the mist, lighting up the deck with each flash. It was a sight unlike anything anyone had ever seen.

The Straw Hats absorbed this peculiar weather as the super current dragged their ship forward, wind whistling ominously across the deck. Usopp and Chopper mouth's gaped in wonder, Zoro frowned suspiciously at each shimmer, and Sanji whistled when there was a burst of dark blue, impressed.

The girls and Carue stood near the figurehead, watching their captain literally bounce in his seat.

"So cool," Luffy said in a breathy tone. "It's rainbow fog!"

"It's beautiful," Vivi agreed.

"I consider myself something of a weather expert, but I've never seen a phenomenon like this," Nami observed. "I wonder what's causing it."

Nami wasn't the only one curious. As some of the fog around Usopp lit up a buttery yellow, the sniper quickly swiped his hand through to see what would happen.

 _ **-ALWAYS BEEN NEGATIVE!**_

" _AIEEEEEEEE!_ " Usopp squealed, stumbling backward so violently he fell on his rear.

"Usopp!" Chopper shouted, running to his crewmate's side. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

"G-G-G-G-GHOST!" Usopp stammered out. "I TOUCHED YELLOW FOG AND HEARD THE WHISPERED TONES OF THE DEAD! MY SOUL IS FORFEIIIIIIIT!"

" _SERIOUSLY?!_ " Chopper and Luffy gasped. " _USOPP, NO!_ "

"Calm down, Usopp," Sanji said, lighting a fresh cigarette. "This better not be another lie, because it's not funny."

"I'm _serious_!" Usopp insisted. "You try, if you don't believe me!"

It turned out that they didn't have to bother, for as they got deeper into the fog, the more frequent the bursts of color were. In a matter of minutes the rainbow fog enveloped the Going Merry entirely, and what they assumed previously to be whistling wind sounded more like…

"… Voices?" Zoro realized aloud.

"We're all touching the colored fog now," Vivi observed. "If Usopp's correct..."

"The rainbow fog lets us hear ghosts?" Luffy asked. "That's amazing! I bet ghosts have some really interesting things to say! Let's listen!"

It was a typical Luffy thing to order, but this time the crew had no issue following it. On a morbid level, they too wondered what the voices were and what they had to say. They all grew quiet and let the mysterious tones wash over them.

As the ship sailed onward, the voices got louder and easier to make out, though there were parts here and there they couldn't decipher. At first, the voices were condescending and grated on the crew's nerves.

 _ **...you're weak and you have no pride...**_

 _ **...except for your immunity to lightning, you're nothing more than a powerless...**_

 _ **...and let the desert sands bury you!**_

"I know that voice!" Sanji spoke up, startled. "I spoke to him on the transponder snail on Little Garden- that was Mr. 0."

The Straw Hats all stiffened, except for Chopper who still didn't know who he was and Luffy who made a whiny groan of disappointment.

"Crocodile's a ghost already?" he asked. He pouted. "Well, that's just great. How can I kick his ass if he's a ghost?"

"I'm pretty sure Crocodile's not a ghost, Luffy, no worries," Vivi assured him. "In fact, I don't these are ghosts that we're hearing at all."

"Oh, so they're mystery voices?"

The voices continued to grow more powerful and, well, vocal. Luckily, their tones steadily shifted into something marginally more pleasant, even if they still didn't make sense.

 _ **...wouldn't let me die...**_

 **.** _ **..I'm a romantic, just like...!**_

 _ **...what's the point of having power if...?**_

 _ **...On one hell of a roll this week...**_

 _ **...you promised that... even if someone was shot before your eyes...**_

Nami inhaled sharply. "Is that _Hatchan?_ "

"Who's Hatchan?" Sanji asked.

"He was the octopus swordsman in Arlong's crew. I think Zoro was the one who beat him."

"I remember him," Zoro said, grasping the hilt of Wado Ichimonji. "Not much of a challenge, but I didn't kill him. We wouldn't be hearing his voice if these really were ghosts. Vivi's right, they're something else."

"Shhh!" Luffy hushed. "I'm trying to hear!"

The voices only continued to intensify and as they did, the pirates couldn't help but notice they were beginning to sound _familiar_.

 _ **...existing is not a crime...!**_

 _ **...good boy! Laboon...!**_

 _ **...WANT TO LIIIIIVE! TAKE ME WITH YOU...!**_

Vivi pursed her lips. She knew that voice, though she couldn't remember from where. Whoever it was, why did she sound so _happy_ even though she was clearly crying?

 _ **...WHAT MAKES YOU**_ **GOD** _ **...?!**_

Luffy's jaw dropped. "That's me!"

 _ **...be a more reliable man...!**_

Chopper shook. What was _his_ voice doing in the fog?

 _ **... flighty! What about how others feel...?**_

Nami's hands flew to her cheeks. "Not me too!"

 _ **...God may have created food, but the devil created…**_

Sanji breathed hard on his cigarette. He had no idea what was going on and he didn't like it.

 _ **...THIS PLACE ISN'T HELL...!**_

Usopp couldn't help but notice how odd his fog-voice sounded. Was it possible to be so strong and so _utterly terrified_ at the same time?

 _ **...can't even protect my captain, then my ambition is...**_

Zoro gripped Wado's hilt so tightly that were it any other sword, it would have shattered. What was his voice saying about _not protecting his captain_?

Something was definitely off. Why were they hearing their own voices in the mist, saying things that didn't make _sense_? It was creepy and despite anything Luffy said they didn't want to hear any more. Nami was just about to order the boys to pull out the paddles so they could get leave the fog faster when another voice broke in.

 _ **...worried about his bumbling kid brother...**_

It was a new one, warm and lighthearted where the previous tones they had heard were so serious. It was a welcomed switch, and stood out among all the other voices speaking.

 _ **...the top, you and me...!**_

Luffy's eyes went round with surprise. It had been many years since he'd heard him in person, but he would know the man speaking anywhere.

"Ace?" Luffy asked aloud. "Is that you?"

"Ace?" Zoro repeated. "Who's Ace?"

Luffy didn't answer, focusing on his brother's voice.

 _ **...no right to interfere...!**_

 _ **...You never change...**_

 _ **...THIS ERA IS...**_ **!**

 _ **...can't even let you save...**_

Luffy's eyes narrowed. Ace's tone had changed. It sounded strong, and at the same time… weakened. "Weak" was a word he never associated with his brother, but here it fit. He sounded so tired, as though he wanted to sleep forever but was trying not to. Luffy had never heard Ace be like this before.

 _ **...it good I was born? All I wanted...**_

The Straw Hats all started to feel like they were intruding on an incredibly personal moment. They didn't know who was speaking (save for Luffy, apparently), but what kind of person asked whether them being born was good or not?

Luffy, meanwhile, became uneasy. Just what was Ace trying to say?

 _ **...so worthless... even though I carry the blood of a demon...**_

Luffy leaned forward, shoulders tense.

 _ **...Thank you...**_

The voice heaved, choking back the sobs rising in the back of his throat.

 **.** _ **...for-**_

As though someone had flipped a switch, the fog cleared and all the voices ceased. The sun shined brightly overhead and the sky was an even more magnificent shade of blue then it had been earlier. The crew only had the briefest second to enjoy it, because the moment after the voices vanished, Luffy had jumped to his feet. He only narrowly avoiding tumbling off the Merry's figurehead.

"Thank you for _what_?!" he screamed angrily. "Come on, Ace, what were you going to say?! Who were you thanking?! Why did you sound like that?! Ace! DAMMIT, ACE, ANSWER ME!"

"Luffy!" Sanji called out.

" _WHAT_?!" Luffy shouted back, turning his head towards the cook. His eyes were wild and his teeth were bared like an animal's. A vein throbbed violently on his forehead.

Sanji flinched, and he wasn't the only one. It wasn't often they saw Luffy upset, and it was never outside of a fight with an asshole who hurt his crew. They all couldn't help but wonder who this Ace person was, and why what his voice said affected their captain in such a manner.

Sanji swallowed, then slowly pointed ahead. "…We're here."

Luffy turned and saw the current had stopped pushing the Going Merry. They were now only a hundred feet away from the island, and since the fog was gone, he could see it clearly. It had a large beach with pink-colored sand, and giant, strange trees that reminded him of the jungle back on Dawn Island. In an instant the anger was wiped away, replaced with encroaching enthusiasm as the rubberman's face broke into a big grin.

"Whoa, pink sand? And look at the size of those trees!" Luffy exclaimed. He looked back at his crew. "Hey Chopper, Usopp, let's see if we can climb one! I think I saw some coconuts on one of them, we could- what are you guys all staring at?"

Each of his friends had expressions varying from concerned to downright disturbed. Chopper was even hiding behind Usopp, who was trying to press up against the mast with sweat dripping down his face.

"… Luffy," Nami said slowly, grabbing his hand and pulling him off the figurehead. "Are you okay?"

Luffy raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Why do you ask?

"You were getting pretty upset back there with that last voice," Zoro replied. "Who the hell is Ace?"

"It's okay if you don't want to tell us!" Vivi added quickly. "It's just that you were so angry just now and all of a sudden you're _not_..."

Luffy _had_ yelled at them, hadn't he? In his excitement at reaching the mystery island, he'd forgotten for a minute. The pirate captain felt a stab of guilt at his insides- he may have been upset, but he shouldn't have snapped at Sanji and the others. They'd had no more control over what some asshole fog said in Ace's voice than he did. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and flashed them his signature smile.

"Yeah, sorry about that. But can you blame me?" Luffy asked. He didn't just smile now- he _beamed_. "Ace is my big brother!"

The quiet that followed was so encompassing, one could almost hear the information processing in the crew's noggins. With one sentence, it was as though Luffy had completely rearranged their world view and they needed to rethink everything. Thankfully, it didn't last too long.

"… _BIG BROTHER_?!" the crew finally gasped in unison.

Luffy nodded. "Uh-huh, by three years!"

They didn't hear his response, as they were too busy talking amongst themselves about the revelation.

"Luffy has a _brother_?!" Usopp shouted. "Like, a _brother_ brother?!"

"There's actually a living flesh and blood person _born before_ and _related_ to Luffy?" Nami added.

"Luffy's a monster already!" Sanji said in realization. "Just imagine what his _big brother_ is like!"

"Sanji!" Vivi scolded.

"I wish _I_ had a brother," Chopper said softly.

Luffy started laughing. "Shishishi, you guys are all so weird!"

" _WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT FROM_ YOU _!_ "

"So that was your brother's voice we were hearing at the end?" Zoro asked, somehow not nearly as shaken up as the others. "You sure about that?"

"Yeah, that was Ace," Luffy confirmed. "I haven't seen him since he left home to become a pirate, but I'd know his voice anywhere."

"He's a pirate too?"

"Yup. He left home three years before I did to look for the One Piece."

"If that _was_ your brother's voice, then I can see why you were upset," Vivi said. "The things he said were very… unnerving. You must be worried."

She, and a few of the others, were sorely tempted to ask what Ace might have meant about whether it was a good thing he had been born, but ultimately decided against it. If Luffy wanted them to know he would have told them, and it wasn't any of their business anyway.

"Nah, Ace is strong," Luffy said, crossing his arms. "I fought him all the time when we were kids and he always kicked my butt, even with my devil fruit powers. He can handle himself, and besides, that wasn't Ace. It was just asshole-mystery-fog-ghosts playing with his voice. It copied all of us, even Crocodile and that octopus guy. I forgot for a sec and I got all mad. "

While they were admittedly floored by the fact there was also now a flesh and blood person who could _defeat_ Luffy, they all considered what he said about the fog. They hadn't imagined their own voices speaking within the fog, nor did they imagine Crocodile's. Had it all just been one cruel trick of the mist?

Speaking of which, it was about that time they noticed the fog was not only no longer surrounding them, but in the mere minutes since they exited it, the fog had receded at least a full kilometer away from their position.

"How did it move back _that_ far _that_ fast?!" Usopp asked, incredulous. "We were completely surrounded by it only a few minutes ago!"

"With the mystery island, super current, colored fog, and disembodied voices that sound like us, nothing surprises me at this point," Nami groaned in defeat. "Let's just pack some supplies and leave before we all go completely insane."

"Nami's right!" Luffy declared. "Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm okay now! Let's go find some mystery island meat!"

"You heard the man!" Nami barked. "Prepare to disembark!"

"Right away, Nami-swan!" Sanji added.

With that, everyone split up to perform their usual tasks for weighing anchor. Though the thought of Luffy's brother, Luffy's anger, and the puzzle of the fog was not far from their minds, they all knew they had more important matters to attend to.

They were stuck on an island that shouldn't exist, and Alabasta still awaited them. Anything else was secondary.

* * *

三

* * *

They needed to sail the Merry a little closer to shore first, but afterwards the men easily raised the sails and secured them while Zoro lowered the anchor. After grabbing the necessary tools needed for foraging, the Straw Hats were ready to disembark on to the mystery island.

Luffy stood on the figurehead, stretching his arms ahead and getting a grip on a thick coconut tree across the stretch of water.

"Gum Gum..." Luffy stretched backwards. " _Rocket!_ "

He lifted his feet and went flying straight into the same tree he had been holding. He laughed the whole way over, barely even feeling the impact thanks to his devil fruit powers.

That left the others to either jump off the boat and onto the beach (Sanji and Zoro, with some glaring), wade through the water (Nami and Usopp, despite Sanji's offers to carry the former), or ride on Carue's back while he swam across (Vivi and Chopper).

"I can't believe it," Chopper said, almost vibrating with anticipation. "My first new island as a pirate!"

Vivi smiled at him. "I'm glad to see you're excited, Tony. Some of us have noticed you're still a little antsy about being on the Merry."

"I'm just getting used to leaving Drum, that's all," he replied as they arrived at the beach. He and Vivi dismounted the large duck. "But I promise to do my best for the crew while we're here!"

Vivi chuckled as they joined the others. "I'm sure you will."

The beach was even more beautiful up close. The pink sand sparkled under the sunlight, becoming intermixed with thick green grass as it got closer into the jungle area. The trees were even more unnaturally large than they first appeared, and their leaves also seemed to glitter if the sunshine caught them just right.

Luffy ran around the beach, doing cartwheels and leaps and laughing for all he was worth. "The sand here is pink! _Shishishi_ , the mystery island has mystery sand!"

Usopp and Chopper joined him without hesitation. Usopp chased after Luffy while the reindeer rolled like a log on the pink sand. Luffy chuckled as he picked up a handful and tossed it into the sniper's face, and it speedily devolved into a sand fight between the newly-formed Goofy Trio.

"Alright, that's enough!" Sanji barked at them. "We're not here to have fun, we have work to do!"

"Thank you, Sanji," Nami said. She ignored his swooning and placed a hand on a stack of baskets the cook carried to shore. "We'll break off into groups to look for food. Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and I will remain here to pick some of these coconuts. Sanji, Vivi, Carue, and Chopper, you all go a little deeper into the jungle and search, but don't go too far. We don't know what's out there and to be perfectly honest, I don't want to know."

"Aw, but I wanted to explore the jungle!" Luffy whined. "Maybe I'll find my zombie musician!"

"You're staying here and that's final!"

"I'll go with him if he wants to explore," Zoro offered.

"THAT'S EVEN WORSE!"

Usopp tossed another glob of the pink granules at Luffy, kick-starting another round of sand fighting. Nami groaned at their hopelessness. Zoro just laughed.

Vivi rolled her eyes but smiled at her friends' typical antics. She hopped back on Carue, Chopper morphed into Walk Point, and Sanji ran to the princess's side holding three large baskets.

"Off we go?" she asked.

"I'd follow you to the ends of the sea and back, Vivi!" Sanji crooned.

"I think I smell something close by!" Chopper announced, sniffing the ground. He glanced warily at Sanji. "I-If you don't mind following me, Sanji."

At a stern look from Vivi, Sanji sighed and patted the doctor's head with a smile. "I don't mind at all. Lead the way."

All four entered the jungle, leaving Nami to scold her dumber crewmates.

Though they stuck to the navigator's advice and didn't venture too far in, it was obvious traversing the thick expanse of foliage was not a simple feat. There were almost no paths and the trees' roots all seemed to get tangled up in each other on top of being enourmous.

"I've never seen trees this huge before," Vivi said as Carue had to physically climb over a large root. "They're even bigger than the ones we saw on Little Garden. I wonder how similar their ecosystems are."

"As long as there aren't any more dinosaurs, death mosquitos, or wax men, they can be as similar as they want," Sanji said dryly. "Though I wonder how ironic this place's name is."

That made Vivi giggle, and that in turn made Sanji elated.

"Little Garden?" Chopper asked, looking up at his two crew mates. "That's where Nami contracted Kestia, right?"

"That's right, but that's a story for another day, Tony," the princess replied. "Let's focus on finding supplies. We need to leave this island as soon as possible."

Sanji gave Vivi a sympathetic look when she pushed ahead. She wasn't happy about the detour, and that was understandable. Her country was on the brink of civil war and the crew let their ship get caught in a crappy super current. He knew Nami was already contemplating ways to make it up to her, and so was he. Maybe she had a preferred meal she wanted him to make- he didn't know any Alabastan dishes, but he was willing to try.

 _ **...God may have created food, but the devil created…**_

Sanji shook his head, banishing the memory of his fog voice. He was alone (almost) in the jungle with a gorgeous princess and he intended to enjoy it.

"Hey, fruit trees!" Chopper announced. "I knew I smelled something!"

Sure enough, ahead of them was a small clearing with multiple normal-sized fruit trees, each one bearing a different kind of fruit.

"Jackpot!" Sanji crowed. "Look at all this!"

Once Vivi dismounted Carue again and Chopper went into Brain Point, the three pirates jogged over to the trees with their baskets. There was an apple tree, an orange tree, a peach tree, a mango tree, a banana tree, and countless others. Some of the fruits didn't even look like they were supposed to be growing in the same general location, but here they were.

"This is amazing," Vivi said, picking a peach. "And it's perfectly ripe too."

"They're all ripe," Chopper noticed. He was in Heavy Point into order to reach the fruit. "That's... a little strange."

"I know Grand Line islands usually have one dominant season, but is this normal?" Sanji asked, examining an apple. "Like an island quirk?"

Vivi shook her head. "Islands will have one dominant season, but they still technically have the others. Even so, this place feels like a spring or summer island, and it _is_ summer. Most fruits don't get ripe until the fall, and much less at the exact same time."

"You're so knowledgeable, Vivi dear!" Sanji praised, then stopped to take a drag. "Though Chopper's right, it is a little strange. And not the just the ripening thing. If I know my fruit- and I do- some of these definitely don't belong in a tropical climate."

"I think I prefer this kind of strangeness to what happened earlier," Chopper said.

While the two pirates and one princess discussed the ripening cycles of Grand Line fruit, Carue trotted around, looking for fallen fruit. There was a thin layer of leaves and branches covering the ground, though the ones above were still green, so he prodded the jungle floor with his bill a few times to see if anything was hiding. He became so engrossed in this task that he didn't notice he wandered away from the group entirely.

Even if he had, he wouldn't have worried. He could still hear the others' voices and would be able to find his way back if needed. He waddled along, looking up at the massive trees. His sense of smell wasn't as good as Chopper's, but he could keep an eye out for other sources of food, or fresh water, or-

" _Uhn_."

Carue froze as the ground beneath his feet seemed to _groan_. He wasn't the most intelligent of birds, but even he knew the ground wasn't supposed to do that. He slowly glanced down...

" _QUAAAAAAAAAW!_ "

Vivi dropped her fruit basket. "That sounded like Carue!"

Sanji glanced from side to side. "Damn it, where did that stupid duck go?"

"Carue isn't stupid!"

"I'm sorry Vivi, I didn't-"

"It came from over there!" Chopper said, pointing in the direction of Carue's squawks. "Hurry!"

The trio abandoned their baskets and dashed where Chopper referred to. As they moved forward, Carue's quacking got louder and more frantic.

"What's he saying, Tony?" Vivi asked.

"He's too worked up, I can't make everything out!" Chopper answered. "But he's yelling about a person and wounds!"

"You're kidding me," Sanji said breathily. "There are people actually _living_ here on this island?"

"And they're hurt!" Vivi ran faster. "Pick up the pace, Sanji, Chopper!"

"On it!"

As they approached Carue's location, Vivi's foot suddenly slipped out from underneath her. Sanji caught her before she could hit the dirt.

"Vivi!" he shouted. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but what did I slip…" Vivi started to respond, trailing off when she looked down.

Sanji paled, and Chopper gasped in horror. The leaves on the jungle floor with slick with dark, partially dried _blood_. It was _everywhere_ , and currently staining Vivi's white boots.

They had finally reached the spotted duck, who was pacing frantically in front of someone lying face down on the ground. There was pool of blood in the process of drying coming from their shoulder and head, as well as other miscellaneous wounds on their body. Whoever they were, they'd been there a while.

Vivi's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh my Lord!"

"There's so much blood!" Chopper shrieked. "A doctor, we need a doctor!"

"Tony, you're the doctor!"

"Oh, right!"

Vivi immediately went to calm Carue down, stroking his bill. Chopper pulled off his pack and went to examine the stranger, a man, lying on the ground. Sanji, on the other hand, stayed back and gave the injured individual a once over.

From this angle, the man's wounds seemed to be focused on his arms and shoulders, and one on his side. His back was remarkably void of any marks. Clothing-wise, he was wearing a long, dark green coat, a red sash around his waist, and black pants tucked into a pair of black leather boots. He was also wearing a dark bandanna over his hair, and had at some point shrugged off the top part of his coat to reveal he went shirtless. The only type of upper covering he wore was a green haramaki.

Sanji's eyebrow twitched. _Where have I seen an ugly belly warmer like that before…?_

"Aside from the other cuts, he has a deep stab wound in his shoulder, but it's not as bad as it looks," Chopper examined aloud, sounding professional despite the slight shake in his words. "However, I can't get a good look at his forehead. Sanji, can you help me gently flip him over?

Sanji nodded and approached the other side of the fallen man. Now he could see why Chopper was nervous- the man had a sword with a black and red blade in his left hand, and the hilt of at least one other sticking out from under his limp form. Chopper carefully tried to slide the unsheathed sword away, but even in unconsciousness the man's grip was like a vise.

It took a few tries, but they managed to take it from him and the stranger didn't even twitch. Sanji knelt down, and on the count of three, the cook and the reindeer moved the stranger onto his back while the latter at the same time removed his bandanna.

The reaction was instantaneous.

"What the-?!" Chopper gasped.

Sanji's cigarette fell from his mouth. "There's _two_ of them?"

Vivi's eyes widened. "How is this possible?!"

"Quaaaw!" Carue yelled.

There were a few minor differences that stood out, but there was no mistaking the green hair, gold earrings, and perpetually grouchy face they saw _every day_.

" _ZORO?!_ "

* * *

三

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED**_


	4. Chapter 2: Sword of Promise!

**NOTES FROM AO3:**

 **For this chapter, it's probably easier to list what DIDN'T change. A lot has been rewritten completely, and I ended up combining it with the former chapter three since it fit. The scene with the bounty hunters will be moved to the beginning of the new chapter three.**

 **At any rate, enjoy and don't forget to review!**

* * *

三

 _ **Chapter 2: Sword of Promise! This Man Can Only Be Roronoa Zoro!**_

* * *

It was about fifteen minutes after Sanji, Vivi, Chopper, and Carue had ventured into the jungle that Nami had a sudden realization.

It was a _quiet_.

Nami had earlier managed to rein in her remaining crewmates long enough to get them collecting coconuts while she observed the lay of the land. Luffy and Usopp complied with the typical grumbling, but for once Zoro had made no remark. That's really what should have tipped her off in the beginning, but here they were. She was alone on a beach with two members of the Goofy Trio and Zoro. At the very least, she should be sniping back at the swordsman's insults between yelling at the captain and the sniper for messing around.

But this was not the case. Despite their earlier roughhousing, they were now all utterly sedate. Zoro was up one of the coconut trees, silently tossing the fruits down to Usopp, who in turn dropped them into his basket. Luffy wasn't even trying to steal coconuts to eat. He just sat in the pink sand, arms propping him up and his legs spread. He would have appeared relaxed if not for the thoughtful expression on his face as he looked out to sea.

"Okay, I give up," she sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "Why aren't any of you trying to drive me up the wall?"

"We don't _try_ to drive you up the wall, period," Usopp commented. "You're just easily annoyed."

Nami's eyebrow twitched. She walked up to the sniper and yanked on his ear.

" _OW!_ "

"Fine, let me rephrase that- why aren't any of you doing anything that would typically _annoy_ me?"

"You're _complaining_?" Usopp asked, pulling his ear out of her grip and rubbing the sore appendage.

"No, but it's extremely out of character for you boys," she replied. "So what's got you all so quiet?"

There was a _thump_ and the dull knock of sheathes bumping against each other as Zoro jumped out of the tree.

"I can't speak for Luffy or Usopp, but there's something about this island that's…" The swordsman trailed off, as though searching for the right word. "… _weird_. I don't like it."

"Uh, yeah, obviously. It popped up out of nowhere and is surrounded by magical talking fog," Nami said with a snort. She gave him a probing look. "Is that it? Are you still bothered by what it said in your voice? Mine and Luffy's weren't so bad, but yours and Usopp's…"

Zoro didn't reply, as memories swarmed his mind.

" _I solemnly swear… from this moment forward… THAT I WILL NEVER LOSE AGAIN!"_

 _ **...can't even protect my captain, then my ambition is...**_

He scowled, crossing his arms and looking away from the navigator _. Bastard fog voices, getting into my head like this. I made a promise, damn it! Like I'd actually break it. And this stupid island is making my skin crawl. What the hell is going on?"_

Nami rolled her eyes at him and turned back to Usopp. "Well, what about you?"

"I agree with Zoro, actually," Usopp replied. "Now that he's said it, there is something weird here. Fog voices aside, just being on this island is making me feel more antsy than usual."

"You sure this isn't just you being a coward?"

"No! If that were the case, why would Zoro be feeling the same thing?! He's not the Great Captain Usopp, sure, but he's a monster in his own right!"

"We can't hear it," Luffy said suddenly.

Usopp, Nami, and Zoro looked up toward their captain, who sounded unusually serious. He was standing up now, spinning in a slow circle and looking into the sky.

"There's something here," he went on, shielding his eyes from the sun. "But for some reason we can't hear it. That's what weird."

His crewmates stared at him in near wonder.

"Luffy…" Zoro started.

Luffy put his hands on hips and gave a sharp nod. "It's mystery quiet!"

His crewmates face-planted on the ground. They actually thought he was going to say something profound for once.

Nami and Usopp jumped to their feet and stomped over to him. They both smacked him upside the head, knocking his hat off.

" _Don't act all cool and then say something like that!"_ they shouted in unison. " _Doofus_!"

Luffy just laughed the smacks off and put his hat back on. "Come on, let's go find out what it is! I still want to explore the jungle! Who knows what we'll discover out there!"

"We can't, Luffy," Nami sighed. "We're on a schedule. I don't want to delay our arrival in Alabasta any more than I have to, and this little side trip is not helping."

"Nami's right," Zoro agreed, have already stood back up. "The sooner we leave, the better."

"Nice to see you showing some initiative for once, Zoro. I guess there _is_ some common sense in that musclehead of yours."

Zoro rolled his eyes and went back to scowling.

Nami turned on her heel and started walking back the down the beach. "I don't know anything about 'mystery quiet,' but if it's keeping _you_ quiet, I won't complain. Now, hop back to it! Those coconuts won't pick themselves!"

"If you want it done so badly, why don't _you_ help?" Usopp asked.

"Because that would require her doing _actual_ work," Zoro replied bitterly.

"I _am_ doing actual work." Nami called back over her shoulder. She stopped and let the waves wash over her feet. "By surveying the land, of course. We need to remain vigilant on a 'haunted' island, and if you guys are going to get nervous over something you _can't_ hear, the responsibility falls to me."

"I'm _not_ nervous!" Zoro snapped. "And if anything _were_ to happen while we're here, you'd sooner run and hide on the Merry with Usopp than do anything!"

"Yeah," Usopp agreed. "You'd hide on the Merry with- HEY!"

Nami shrugged, not denying it. She returned to walking. "Look, the sooner you guys finish, the sooner we can leave. Not mention Sanji will kick all your asses if you don't get enough- YIKES!"

All of a sudden, Nami's foot slipped out from under her. She landed on her back and sputtered when a small wave hit her.

"Nami!" Luffy shouted. He jogged over to her and helped her stand, moving her away from the water. "You okay?"

Nami cough and wrung some water from her shirt. "I'm fine, but my shirt may need further saving."

Zoro and Usopp quickly walked over to join them.

"Why'd you fall like that?" Usopp asked.

"I think my shoe just caught on a slippery rock or something. It happens."

Luffy got on his knees and dug his fingers through the wet pink sand. After a few seconds, his fingers clasped around the item that tripped his navigator.

"Uh, Nami?" he said as he stood up. He held out his hand. "This isn't a rock. Take a look."

The other three gathered around the rubberman, examining what he held in his hand. It looked similar to Nami's wooden log pose, only the base was bigger and flatter. Instead of a large glass sphere holding the needle, it held three smaller half-spheres with three separate needles.

"A log pose?" Zoro questioned.

"Not like one I've ever seen," Nami observed. "Crocus said the log pose locked on to a specific island's magnetic field. I don't see why one would need three separate needles."

"Maybe it's to find more islands! Each needle points to a different one, and you can choose which island is the most fun!" Luffy suggested. He pressed the strange pose into Nami's hands. "You take it then! You're the navigator, you should learn how to use it!"

Nami held up the... Tri-Pose, for lack of a better name, and compared it with her own. Immediately, she broke into a cold sweat. For the first time since they arrived at the island, she noticed the needle on her log pose was spinning without any sign of stopping. The needles on the Tri-Pose did the same. She was certain she hadn't done thing to break her pose- the little tumble she took wouldn't have damaged it. It was as almost as if…

"… It's almost as if there's nothing to lock on to," she said, mostly to herself. She fought back a shudder. Now _she_ was starting to get a weird feeling. "What the hell...?"

"Maybe they just need to set?" Usopp tried to assure her. "Old Man Crocus said they needed to do that after you visit an island, right?"

Before Nami could reply, a loud shout permeated the air.

"Oi, Nami, everyone!"

Nami stuffed the Tri-Pose into her pocket, vowing to solve the problem later, and turned with the others in the direction of the shout. Sanji, Vivi, Chopper, and Carue exited the jungle, the yelling in question coming from Sanji. Out of all of them, Chopper was the only one carrying a basket of fruit.

"Hey, Sanji!" Luffy called back. "You're back! Find anything cool in there? 'Cuz we found something awesome!"

Sanji paused, working his cigarette between his lips. "…Depends on what you think is cool!"

"What's the deal, Cook?" Zoro said when he saw Chopper. "You guys were gone for that long and only came back with one basket of food? And here Nami thought you'd kick _our_ asses for not getting enough."

"Yeah, what's the deal, Sanji?!" Nami demanded.

Sanji, surprisingly, seemed to not have heard his precious Nami-swan. He and the other three leaving the jungle halted and stared at Zoro as though they couldn't believe he was standing there. Then, almost simultaneously, they all glanced back at Carue. From where the beach group was standing, they could see the duck carried a fifth person, slumped forward in his saddle.

"Who's that you got with you?" Luffy asked. "Oh, did you guys find other people on the island?"

"That's fantastic!" Usopp sighed, relieved. "Maybe now we can finally figure out where the hell we are!"

Sanji and the others said nothing. They just kept those disturbed expressions focused on Zoro. Their intense gazes started to irritate the swordsman.

" _What_?" Zoro barked. "Why are you giving me those stupid faces?"

The jungle group shared an uneasy glance, and then Vivi stepped forward.

"… Mr. Bushido," Vivi said slowly. "You wouldn't happen to have an older brother who looks eerily like you and also carries three swords, do you?"

"Awfully specific question." Zoro replied just as slowly. The weird feeling he'd been having intensified. "No, I don't. Dare I ask why?"

Vivi bit her lip. "...You should probably see for yourself."

The jungle group made their way over to the beach group, then stepped to either side of Carue so they could clearly see who was lying in his saddle. It was an unconscious man wearing a long green coat, and he did indeed have three swords sheathed into his sash. His shoulder was tightly bound with gauze, undoubtedly Chopper's handiwork. Upon leaning in closer, Luffy and the others got a good look at his face.

Much like Sanji and company before them, the reaction was instantaneous.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Usopp hollered, reeling backward.

Nami's jaw dropped. "That's impossible!"

Zoro's eyes widened to the size of plates, and his hand immediately went for one of his sword hilts. It was safe to say he was thoroughly unsettled.

The unconscious stranger riding on Carue's back looked _exactly_ like Zoro. Same straight nose, same angular jaw, same tannish skin, same mossy green hair, and the same gold earrings. The only major difference was the thin scar going down his left eye.

Luffy smiled and waved. "Hey, Zoro! When did you go into the jungle with Chopper and the others?"

"I'm right next you, moron!" Zoro snapped.

Luffy blinked, then looked between the Zoro standing next to him and the 'Zoro' lying on Carue. Judging from his reddening expression, his brain was going into overload trying to figure it out.

Sanji gently chopped the side of his head. "Don't hurt yourself, Luffy."

Nami waved her arm at the supersonic duck's passenger. "Care to explain what the hell this is?! Who... who is this guy? Why does he have... _that_ face?"

" _That_ face?" Zoro repeated. "That's _my_ face! Just what the hell is going on?!"

At Zoro's shouts, Chopper dropped his basket and hid behind Vivi. "W-We found him in the jungle. His shoulder and head were injured... he's lost a lot of blood! I couldn't just leave him there!"

"And to be fair, we didn't feel comfortable leaving someone who looked like you behind in such a state," Vivi added.

"I felt more than comfortable," Sanji admitted without a hint of remorse. "But Vivi insisted. How could I say no?"

"I treated him as well as I could back in the jungle, but he needs stitches for his injuries," Chopper continued, his voice less timid. "I didn't have the right materials on me and a jungle is not a sterile environment, so I told Carue to carry him back to the Merry. Was that okay?"

To Zoro, it was _not_ okay. He still had no clue how any of this was possible, but he knew whatever… _this_ was, it wasn't natural. He didn't want this stranger within a hundred miles of the ship. Luffy, however, had other ideas.

"Of course it's okay, Chopper," Luffy said. "You do whatever have to."

"Thanks Luffy," Chopper said in relief. He turned to the duck. "Come on, Carue. You can help me get him on board."

Carue quacked in response and followed the doctor towards the Merry. As soon as they were gone, Zoro turned to glare at his captain.

"What is _wrong_ with you?!" Zoro yelled. "You can't just let Chopper take that guy aboard the Merry! We don't know _who_ or _what_ he is!"

"Chopper's a _doctor_ ," Luffy retorted, crossing his arms. "I'm not going to tell him he can't treat someone."

"That doesn't change we can't trust him!"

"Why not? He looks pretty trustworthy to me."

"That's because he looks like _Zoro_ , idiot!" Usopp said, whacking Luffy upside the head again.

"Let's go back to the Merry before we finish this discussion," Sanji said, running a hand tiredly through his hair. "I don't think we should be out in the open."

Whatever weird vibe Zoro, Usopp, and Luffy had been feeling earlier made itself present to all of the Straw Hats. The pretty jungle and beach no longer looked inviting.

"Let's move the Merry while we're at it," Nami added. "Come on, everybody!"

After taking a second to gather what baskets of fruit and coconuts they had, the pirates returned to the Going Merry.

* * *

三

* * *

"Start from the beginning," Zoro ground out. "How _exactly_ did you find this guy?"

After sailing the Going Merry a little further down the beach, they gathered on the main deck, waiting for Chopper to finish stitching up Zoro's double. Their Zoro was currently leaning against the mast, arms crossed and his eyes sending daggers at Sanji and Vivi. The crew, though, was understanding of Zoro's agitated state. Anyone would be unnerved by suddenly discovering they had a lookalike.

"We were picking fruit when Carue started squawking," Sanji said, lighting another cigarette. "We went to check on him and found him pacing in front of Mosshead the Second. He was lying face down on the ground in a pool of his own blood, sword drawn. He must have gotten into a fight before we got there."

"That does sound like something Zoro would do," Usopp admitted.

"Shut up, Longnose!" Zoro yelled. "That guy is _not_ me!"

"I never said he was!" Usopp yelled back. "And don't make fun of my nose! I got this nose from my mother!"

"Enough, you two!" Nami shouted. "Yelling at each other isn't going to solve anything. Sanji, please continue."

"Of course, dear Nami," Sanji said with a gentlemanly bow. "Anyway, Chopper started tending to his wounds while me and Vivi tried to figure out how Zoro could be in the jungle when we saw him not twenty minutes ago on the beach. We searched the area, but all we found was a third sword jabbed into some tree roots. After that we brought him to you."

He exhaled some smoke. "Seeing as Mosshead is standing in front of me, either that guy Chopper's sewing up is a doppelganger, or another member of this crew has an older brother he never told us about."

"I said I don't have an older brother, Swirls!" Zoro argued. "And why do you keep saying _older_ brother?"

"Yeah, I'd say he was your twin or something," Usopp added. He struck a dramatic pose. "Long lost twins, separated at birth by circumstances they could not control!"

"That's so cool!" Luffy cheered.

"Shut up, I don't have a twin either!" Zoro yelled. He looked at Vivi. "Why do you think he's my older brother?"

"This man looks almost exactly like you," Vivi explained. "But his features are more... mature. I'd say he's a couple years older than you, if not more."

"Then he's not Zoro's long-lost twin?" Luffy sighed. "That's lame."

"Why are you disappointed about that?" Zoro asked, sweatdropping.

"Twins are awesome."

"Whatever. Point is, even if I did have a brother- which I don't- siblings do _not_ look that much alike!"

Sani glanced to the side, muttering under his breath, "You'd be surprised."

"Everyone, I don't think the other Mr. Bushido is our Mr. Bushido's brother. Even if that's the most logical explanation," Vivi went on. "Brothers look alike, multiples can especially, but they usually don't have the same scars on their chests."

Zoro's teeth grit. "He. Has. _What_?"

"Other Zoro has the same scar on his chest as you," Sanji replied, shrugging. "I just assumed it was a Roronoa thing."

Zoro's hand clutched his shirt, right above where his Mihawk scar was. His face was one thing, but _that_ mark...?

"It's not just the one on his chest."

Chopper came out the door to the storeroom, in Heavy Point and wiping his hands on a rag. (With a lack of a proper infirmary, they had set up a small cot Sanji dug out from somewhere in the storeroom for Chopper to treat his patient on.) The others swarmed the human reindeer, ready for answers.

"Hey, Chopper!" Luffy greeted. "Is Other Zoro doing any better?"

"When did we start calling him 'Other Zoro?'" Usopp wondered aloud.

Chopper wiped some sweat off his brow. "As I thought, the wound on his shoulder wasn't nearly as bad as it seemed, but along with the wound on his head, he had a lot of other deep cuts. I disinfected and stitched them all close. Sanji, thanks again for finding me that cot."

Sanji waved it off. "No problem. Now, you were saying something about his scars?"

"Oh, right. As I was saying, Other Zoro doesn't just have the same chest scar. I took off his boots before I laid him down. He has the exact same scars around the tops of his ankles as our Zoro. I recognized them from the other day!"

Chopper had first seen Zoro's ankle scars after the latter kicked off his boots to train. When he asked Nami, she simply said they were from Zoro being stupid and not to worry about it. Chopper ended up examining him anyway until he was satisfied it had been done right.

"Seriously?!" Luffy asked. "Does this mean Other Zoro tried to cut his feet off too?"

"Zoro got those scars from trying to cut _his own feet off_?! Of all the boneheaded-!" Chopper started to scold.

Zoro gave the doctor a stern look, making him shift back into Brain Point and take three steps back.

"R-Right, that can wait," he stammered. He composed himself and continued. "The Other Zoro's ankle scars were at least a year old, but they were completely identical."

Despite the warm weather, a cold wind blew across the deck as this information sunk in. The Straw Hats exchanged glances, still unsure what to make of the situation. They had aboard their ship a near-perfect copy of their swordsman. The mere thought of it sounded impossible, and they still didn't have an answer.

"This is getting really creepy," Nami broke the silence, hugging her arms. "I know there's a saying about how there's somebody out in the world who looks just like you, but I don't think they're supposed to be _that_ similar. Unless he were actually…?"

The implication hung in the air.

"Whoa, _seriously_?" Chopper gasped.

"That'd be the nightmare realized," Sanji said, shakily exhaling smoke. "One sword freak is bad enough; I don't think the world could handle two of him."

"Good thing it doesn't have to, because he is _not me_. _I'm_ me," Zoro insisted. "This has to be some kind of trick, or trap, or _something_! Whatever it is, I am the only Roronoa Zoro, not some jackass you found bleeding out in the woods!"

"Take it easy, Zoro," Usopp tried to calm the older man. "No one's _really_ saying he's you."

"Just calm down," Vivi added, stepping forward and resting a hand on his arm. "We'll figure this out somehow, I promise."

Zoro closed his eyes took a deep, calming breath through his nose. Getting worked up over the situation was both disgraceful and no help whatsoever. He'd been having a weird feeling since he came to this island, and there was a very real possibility that this man- if he was what Zoro had no choice of suspecting him to be, no matter how unnerving it was- was the source.

He gripped Wado's hilt and stepped away from Vivi.

"Scars can be faked, but I don't see how someone could know which ones I have exactly. It's too much of a coincidence," he said, massaging his temple. "There's gotta be something else we can test to see if this guy legit."

His friends knew without further prompting what he meant by "legit."

"And if he _is_ legit?" Nami asked. "If he really is, for some crazy, improbable reason _, you_?"

The swordsman grunted, massaging his temple harder. " _Then_ we can solve the mystery of where he came from and why."

Usopp was wrong. Someone really _was_ saying that the strange man was _actually_ Zoro. Not just a copy, but a real, living, breathing, older Zoro. As their Zoro said, no one knew _why_ , but having the theory consolidated aloud made it that much more real. No one knew what to do with it.

Except one.

"I know something we can test," Luffy piped up.

The captain, who had been oddly untalkative during the discussion, was sitting cross-legged on Carue's back. He smiled as though he'd just had the greatest idea of all time, which was not encouraging. The last time he smiled like that, he'd hammer tossed a giant cow and gotten his feet stuck in concrete.

Chopper, still being new, was not put off by the grin and approached him. "What should we test, Luffy?"

Luffy hopped off the giant duck and pointed at Vivi. "Vivi, Other Zoro had three swords on him, right?"

Vivi nodded. "He did. You all saw them when we first came back."

"I wasn't really paying attention to them, but did they look anything like the ones Zoro's wearing right now?"

A charge ran down the collective spines of the rubberman's crew.

"Holy crap," Sanji whispered. "Why didn't we think of that? Vivi?"

"They did!" Vivi exclaimed. "One was black, one was red, and one was white! Are you thinking they're the same ones?"

"Only one way to find out." Luffy looked down at Chopper. "Chopper, is it alright if Other Zoro has visitors?"

"I guess so," Chopper answered. "He's still asleep, but I doubt he's going to wake up anytime soon, so it should be okay."

"Great." Luffy turned to Zoro. "Zoro, go in there and check out his swords."

Zoro, though still a little startled by Luffy's rare stroke of genius, collected himself and nodded. "Right. You'd better come too. I know you'll all follow whether I want you to or not."

" _Shishishi_ ," Luffy giggled, not bothering to argue otherwise.

It was fairly obvious Luffy was just as interested in the mystery behind the Other Zoro- which was apparently his name now- as the rest of the crew. With that, they entered the storeroom.

* * *

三

* * *

As they entered, the crew saw Chopper had pushed crates and barrels against the side walls to make room for his patient. The Other Zoro laid on a cot in the middle of the room, a large blanket draped over him from the center of his chest down. His shoulder, head, and part of his chest were bandaged, as well other small wounds here and there. The reindeer had removed his coat and sash, folded them neatly, and placed them on a barrel. His boots and bandanna were resting on top of his coat, and his swords were lined carefully in a row on a big crate next to his clothes.

Chopper immediately went Heavy Point and started examining his patient again, listening to his heart with a stethoscope. Years of living with Doctorine taught him there was no such thing as too careful.

Meanwhile, this was the first time the Straw Hats- aside from the members who found him- were getting a closer look at Other Zoro. Now that they weren't panicking, they could not only see the striking similarities, but the differences as well.

Other Zoro had even bigger muscles than their Zoro, if that was possible, and a slightly thicker neck. His green hair was also a little longer and partially slicked back. Besides the massive scar stretching from his left shoulder to his right hip, the parts of his body visible from beneath the blanket were a patchwork of countless other thin scars. And as they saw before, Other Zoro had a scar running down his left eye, as though he'd been sliced there. (Which, knowing their own Zoro, was probably the case.) In general, his body was broader and features more mature.

It was as Vivi said. Other Zoro looked like their Zoro, but a few years older.

"I can see why you all thought he was Zoro's older brother," Usopp admitted. "The likeness is uncanny."

Sanji leaned over, examining Other Zoro's eye scar. "What's up with his eye? I've been wondering."

Chopper looked up briefly, then reached into his bag and took out a small light. He pulled back Other Zoro's eyelid and waved the light over it. The eye itself was clouded and dull, not responding to the brightness.

"Other Zoro is blind in his left eye," Chopper replied simply, releasing the eyelid and putting his light away.

This new information made something twist in Sanji's stomach, though he wasn't sure why.

"Ow!" Luffy shouted in sympathy, rubbing his own eye. "I almost lost an eye like that once."

"What?!"

Zoro just narrowed his own eyes, looking at his double with an emotion akin to respect. He recalled Sanji saying they'd found him in the aftermath of a fight. He didn't know if the doppelganger won or not (he _better_ have, if he was 'legit'), but to keep fighting even with a crucial sense hindered was admirable.

Nami sauntered up to the crates holding the Other Zoro's things and inspected his clothes. "Hmm, looks like this guy doesn't share the same disastrous fashion sense as Zoro. This coat is actually kind of nice."

Vivi joined Nami at her side, but not to see Other Zoro's clothes. Her focus was on the small stack of clear vials in a plastic tray near them. Each vial had a thin needle sticking out of it.

She picked one up. "What are these? Syringes?"

Luffy joined her, also looking. "They look like darts to me."

Usopp picked another one up and lowered one of his goggles' lenses, studying it. "You're both right, actually. These are tranquilizer darts."

"Tranquilizer darts?" the princess repeated. She grimaced. "Nasty."

"You've seen them before, Usopp?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah. You can load these into a gun and fire them at rampaging animals. They can contain a drug that makes you pass out if it gets injected into your bloodstream."

"Wow, Usopp!" Chopper said, impressed. "You sure know a lot! I only recognized them because Doctor and Doctorine sometimes used them on their more unruly patients."

"I don't doubt that," Sanji said, wincing as he rubbed the small of his back.

"But of course!" Usopp stated proudly, rubbing the side of his nose with his index finger. "What kind of sniper would the Great Captain Usopp be if he didn't know his way around different ammunitions?"

"You're a _captain_ , Usopp? That's amazing! " Chopper gasped. He frowned in confusion. "Hold on, I thought Luffy was the captain."

"I am," Luffy replied. "But before he joined our crew, Usopp was captain of the Usopp Pirates on Gecko Island. Right, Usopp?"

"Right!" Usopp confirmed. "Never was there a more brave and daring band of rogues. Aside from our own crew, that is!"

Chopper's eyes sparkled in admiration.

"You guys are missing the more obvious question here," Zoro said. " _Why_ do you have tranq darts, Chopper?"

Chopper stopped sparkling and gestured to Other Zoro. "I pulled them out of his body. He's lucky, though. If anyone else had taken that much tranquilizer into their system, their heart would have stopped."

The room grew deathly quiet as that statement was absorbed. It didn't last long.

"ZORO COULD HAVE DIED?!" Luffy hollered. He latched his arms around Zoro's shoulders. "ZOOOORRROOO!"

"QUAAAAAAAW!" Carue quacked worriedly.

"OH, THE HUMANITY!" Usopp wailed.

"OTHER ZORO'S NOT OUR ZORO, MORONS!" Nami hollered. "AND HE'S NOT DEAD!"

"Quiet! He needs to rest!" Vivi scolded them. "You'll wake him!"

"No need to worry, Vivi," Sanji assured her. "Like Chopper said, he's hopped up on tranquilizers. If he's anything like our Mosshead, it'll take nothing short of charging Marines carrying booze to wake him up. However, that's not the problem here."

"It's not?"

"No, it's not. Other Zoro had his sword drawn when we found him, and his bandanna was over his head. If he's like Zoro in personality as well as looks, he would only do that in a serious fight."

"Didn't know you watched so closely, Love Cook," Zoro snorted as he detached Luffy from his person. He grew grave. "But as much as I hate to say it, I see what you're getting at. Take that and throw tranquilizer darts into the mix..."

"I doubt Other Zoro beat himself up. Even Zoro's not that dumb," Sanji said, taking a drag of his cigarette and ignoring Zoro's glare. "There's someone else on that island who felt the need to take down Other Zoro at any cost. Who's to say they won't come after us next?"

Nami, Chopper, and Usopp shrieked in fear, Vivi frowned worriedly, and Luffy gained a rightous fire in his eyes.

"Then we'd better get Other Zoro figured out," Luffy said. He pounded his fist into his open palm. "If he really is Zoro, then we owe somebody an ass kicking."

No one argued with the rubberman on that point, instead looking expectantly at Zoro. The Santoryu user took a deep breath and made his way to the crate his double's sword lay on.

He selected the red sheathed one first. He picked it up and removed it from its sheath, seeing the familiar flame-like _hamon_ down its blade. The immediate surge of blood lust and anger that radiated from the sword proved it to be Sandai Kitetsu. Zoro felt its dissatisfaction, like it wondered why such weak hands dared to wield it. Zoro glared at the blade, slid it back into its sheath, and set it down.

The black sheathed one was next, and it was definitely not Yubashiri. The sheath of this sword was black like Yubashiri's, but this one had red dots running down it instead of gold decorations. Wrapped around the upper part of the sheath was a _sageo_ rope, and the _tsuba_ was shaped like a flower instead of a cross. He drew it, and his hand did an involuntary dip. This sword was much heavier than Yubashiri. Still, Zoro had to admire the red Kanemoto-style _hamon_ on the black blade- the craftsmanship was impeccable. He wasn't sure how Yontoryu would work, but if it meant wielding a sword like this one he was willing to try. Back in its sheath and on the crate it went.

The white sheathed one came last. The _second_ he saw it, Zoro began cold sweating.

He didn't have to unsheathe it, hold it, or even look at it all that closely. He'd had this blade since he was a child- this blade was _Kuina's sword_ , no mistaking it. His hand went to the white-sheathed sword at his own hip, and he glanced back at Other Zoro with wide eyes.

 _He's really…_ he thought.

"So," Luffy piped up. "Final thoughts?"

Zoro barely managed to stop himself from jumping. In his concentration, he totally forgot the others were watching and waiting for his conclusion.

"Yeah," Zoro sighed, turning to face his captain. He rubbed his tear ducts, suddenly exhausted. "I've never seen the black one before, but the other two are definitely mine."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Alright then. Guess that's that."

" _JUST LIKE THAT_?!" Chopper and Usopp yelled in unison.

"They _can't_ be the same swords!" Nami argued. "It's just not possible! Maybe they're duplicates too, or-!"

Zoro interrupted the navigator by drawing Wado and Kitetsu so fast, a sharp gust of air blew across the room. It was powerful enough to scatter some papers Chopper had left sitting out, and knock Luffy's hat back on its string.

Nami shut her mouth.

"The red sword is Sandai Kitetsu," Zoro said, twirling Kitetsu in his hand and resheathing it. He did the same for Wado. "The white sword is Wado Ichimonji. Every sword that's forged is completely unique. _Especially_ these two. You can't just create counterfeits; it's not possible."

His right hand went to Wado's hilt. "I've owned Wado Ichimonji since I was a little kid. I've trained with it, fought with it, and sworn two vows with it. I'd know it anywhere, and the blade on the crate _is_ Wado Ichimonji. I'd bet my life on it."

Conviction rang clear in Zoro's voice, and the rest of the Straw Hats knew there would be no further arguing with him. If there was one thing he knew besides the crew he joined, it was his precious swords. This was the final piece of proof they needed, and aside from Luffy, every single one of them joined Zoro in sweating nervously.

"Then he really _is_ Zoro," Chopper concluded. His hands went to his head. "I can't believe it."

"Better start!" Luffy said chipperly. "That's Zoro, no doubt about it."

" _How_?!" Usopp shrieked. He gestured wildly at Zoro. "I know the Grand Line is completely insane as a general rule, but this crosses the freaking line! Zoro's right here, how in the holy hell is there another one of him?!"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Zoro replied.

"Is this kind of thing normal on this sea?" Sanji asked Vivi.

"I've see my share of the bizarre on the Grand Line," Vivi responded in a tight voice. She swallowed thickly. "This is a new one, though."

"We agreed this Zoro is older than our Zoro. I can't believe _I'm_ the one suggesting this, but what if..." Nami's started to say. Her mouth felt dry and she felt crazy in general for even _thinking_ this idea. "... What if he's from the _future_?"

" _THE FUTURE_?!" Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Sanji echoed incredulously.

"Other Zoro's _a time traveler_?!" Luffy went on. He threw his arms in the air. "I have a time traveler on my pirate crew! This is the best day ever!"

"Shut up, Luffy, we don't know that for sure!" Nami scolded him. "It was just an idea!"

"I've read about time travel in science fiction books, but not in real life," Vivi said. "Still, I personally can't think of anything else that explains how someone like him exists. If only we knew how he got here..."

"Let's ask!" Luffy suggested.

Before anyone could stop him, Luffy stood next to Other Zoro's cot and smacked his palm against his bandaged chest.

"Zoro, wake up!"

Nami shoved Zoro out the storeroom door.

A single, wild eye snapped open.

* * *

三

* * *

 _"I can't tell you much," the brat said with a shrug. "Time does pretty much whatever it wants here."_

 _He raised an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"_

 _"Tell you what, how about you figure it out and tell me later, Moss Hair?"_

 _The brat had disappeared into the trees before he could reprimand her for the nickname. It wasn't long after did he encounter one of the other visitors to the island._

 _"Alright then, Pirate Hunter. How much pain can you handle?"_

 _"Pain remembers, you know. What does your pain remember?"_

 _"You are not even screaming?! I have never seen this level of tolerance."_

 _The psycho was talkative, but a skilled swordsman. But then someone else interrupted._

 _"The Straw Hats are no longer a priority. The Somnules will stop his heart, and there's no point turning in a bounty that's dropped thirty percent. Let's head back."_

 _As the darkness encroached on his vision, the last thing he saw was the steely gaze of that red eyed-_

"Zoro, wake up!"

Zoro's good eye snapped open, and he sat straight up in his cot, arm reared back for an attack.

" _BASTARD!_ " he shouted in fury. He punched forward.

His fist was caught by a familiar rubbery one, stopping it only half an inch from the owner's sternum. His ears were assailed with the sound of frantic shouting.

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy!"

"What the hell!"

"I know he hates being woken up, but-!"

"You idiot, you'll pop your stitches!"

Zoro breathed heavily, trying to process what was happening. He was lightheaded, his vision swam, his throat was dryer than the Alabastan desert, every nerve ending felt like it was _on fire_ (damn that sadistic witch bitch), and every limb on his body felt like they were made of lead. He'd never had a hangover before, but he had a feeling it was like this.

And now that he thought about it, there was a sharp ache ache in his shoulder where he felt the pull of stitches. He also felt the soft fabric of a blanket over his legs, and the slightest rock of the dim room he was in.

 _The guys must have found me and brought me back to the Sunny_ , he thought. _That red-eyed bastard is probably long gone then. Dammit._

"Zoro? Zoooooroooo."

His fist was being shook up and down. Though his vision was unclear, there was no mistaking the red, blue, and yellow blur doing it.

"… Luffy?" he rasped.

" _Shishishi_ , wow, Zoro!" Luffy laughed. "You've gotten a lot stronger, haven't you?"

Zoro blinked, then scoffed. He pulled back his fist. "Of course I have, don't sound so surprised. Dumbass captain."

Luffy continued to laugh, and there was chorus of relieved groans around the room.

"Yeah, that's him alright," he heard the Love Cook- who stood oh-so considerately on his blind side- say. However, his voice carried an uneasy waver to it.

Zoro felt a large pair of hands push down on his good shoulder. His vision detected a large brown blob, obviously Chopper in Heavy Point. He chose to remain upright.

"L-Lay back down!" the human reindeer squeaked. "I don't want you tearing your stitches any more than you've probably have!"

Zoro began to roll his eye, but stopped midway. He was used to hearing Chopper's doctor spiel, but it sounded different this time. Chopper was nervous talking to him, or even almost... _scared_.

The cook sounded uneasy, and Chopper sounded scared. Zoro had no idea what was going on, and he wished someone would just come out and say what. He tried to listen more closely with his Haki- try to get a better read of his crewmates. But, to his aggravation, he found he had trouble focusing it. It was pathetic that he was so tired that he couldn't even do _that_. He swallowed his irritation and turned to the doctor.

"I'm fine, Chopper. You know I've had much worse than a sliced shoulder," Zoro said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. He coughed. "Damn it. Can somebody get me some water or something?"

A cup was thrust into his hands a minute later by who he assumed was Nami. He wished his vision would stop swimming already. He didn't need to be blind in both eyes. It had been hard enough getting used to just having one.

"So, Zoro," Luffy said amiably. "Sanji and the others found you in the mystery jungle. How'd you get there?"

"And unconscious, for that matter?" Nami added. She, thankfully, sounded more normal. "That's not like you at all."

"Brook got lost on our walk, so I tried to look for him. That brought me into the jungle, where I met this sadistic bitch swordsman. I think she was from that ship that attacked us earlier." Zoro took a sip of the water, and scowled at the memory. "We started fighting, but we were interrupted right in the middle of it by a red-eyed jackass. He shot at me and the two of them ran off. After that I took a nap, though I guess not a very good one. I feel like crap."

"You didn't take a nap, you got pumped full of tranquilizer darts!" Nami yelled at him.

She was ignored.

"Though that explains why you tried to punch Luffy when you woke up," Usopp said nervously… which was normal for him. "You thought you were still in a fight."

"Guess so." Zoro finished off the glass and handed it to Chopper. "The second I'm out of here, I'm tracking that bastard down and cutting him up. But that's for later- what happened before you brought me back to the Sunny? Cook and Chopper are acting weird."

"What's the Sunny?" someone asked.

Zoro turned to the speaker, looking at them like they were an idiot. "What do you mean, 'what's the Sunny?' The _Thousand Sunny_ , our-?"

He froze. His vision had cleared up considerably by this point, and he was greeted with three sights- the interior of a storeroom as opposed to the infirmary (which he'd question later), and a familiar pair of individuals he hadn't seen in over two years.

" _Vivi_? _Carue_?" he asked, trying not to sound shocked and failing. "What the _hell_ are _you_ guys doing here?!"

Neither the princess nor the duck had changed in the slightest, which even the swordsman found to be odd. His crew had certainly looked different after two years, from Nami's long hair to Dartboard's lip brow. It stood to reason that Vivi should have changed in _some_ way. But no, she looked exactly as she did when she bid farewell to the Straw Hats, minus the princess get-up.

Vivi crossed her arms. "I've been here for a while now... Mr. Bushido. More than two weeks, in fact."

Carue nodded in agreement.

Zoro would have felt a little nostalgic at being called by his old nickname if the circumstances were different. He didn't understand what Vivi meant; on the ship for over _two_ _weeks_? The Straw Hats had been on _Sabaody_ two weeks ago, and Vivi definitely hadn't been there.

"I think I would've noticed if you'd been on board, Vivi," Zoro argued. "How did you get all the way out here? We haven't seen you since Luffy kicked Sand Croc's ass and we left you in Alabasta."

Vivi looked startled, and the same time, burning with pure, unadulterated _drive_. "Sand Croc? Do you mean _Crocodile_?"

"Do you know any other Sand Crocs?" Zoro deadpanned.

"Sand Croc? _Shishishi,_ that's a funny nickname!" Luffy chuckled. "Why do you call him that?"

Zoro turned to remind Luffy that _he_ was the one who came up with the nickname, but the words faded from his mind before he even said them. Where Vivi was completely unchanged, Luffy looked completely _different_. He was lankier, and, even though he sitting on a barrel, Zoro could tell he was a little shorter. A change that stuck out the most to the former bounty hunter- and made his guts twist- were his eyes. They were so _light_ , unburdened with the shadows he'd returned from training with.

The eyes were bad enough, but Luffy was also wearing that old red vest of his instead of the cardigan he favored now. It revealed enough of Luffy's chest show something _else_ Luffy returned from training with was missing.

"Luffy..." Zoro said slowly. "Where's your scar?"

Luffy cocked his head to the side, then pointed under his eye. "You mean this one?"

"Not the one under your eye, you moron! I was talking about the one on your chest!"

"I don't have a scar on my chest."

"Yeah, you do. Scars like that don't just disappear, so where did yours go?! Why do you look…?"

 _Why do you look as you did before Marineford?_

Zoro was two steps away from having a conniption. He didn't know if this was some kind of trick or prank, but somehow before him was a _younger Luffy_. A younger Luffy with no memories of fighting a warlord that nearly killed him three times, no scars from possibly the worst event of his entire life, and infuriatingly naïve eyes that silently asked the swordsman if everything was alright. _Nothing_ about the situation made a lick of sense.

And that wasn't even adding Vivi and Carue into equation. There was no explanation for how in the world they got aboard the Sunny. They weren't on the ship when they left Dock Island, they weren't on the ship when they left Fishman Island, and they definitely weren't on the ship when they left Sabaody Archipelago. Duval and Hachi never mentioned anything about her even _visiting_ the ship at some point. Incoming conniptions aside, Zoro was starting to get the sensation he got either right before a fight, or right before he was in for the headache of the century.

What made it more headache-inducing was how no one else was saying anything. They were all just stood there in the storeroom, acting out of character and-

 _Wait a second._

Zoro's eye scanned the room, and saw they were in _a_ storeroom. Just not the Sunny's.

"No way..." he whispered.

Luffy furrowed his brow. "Zoro? Is something wrong?"

It was impossible. A younger Luffy was one thing, but there was no way he could be back in this storeroom. There was absolutely no conceivable way he could ever be back in _this_ particular storeroom.

"What's up with him?" Vivi whispered. "He looks like he's seen a ghost."

"You got me. I've only ever seen Zoro look that wigged out once before," Usopp replied. "Twice before if you count earlier."

Zoro kicked off his blankets and jumped to his feet, ignoring the painful protest his body gave. The action immediately earned additional cries of protest from Chopper. He noticed his swords were laying on top of a crate (that's why they were in the storeroom, Chopper didn't have a proper infirmary until Franky built Sunny, he had to use this room), so he snatched them up and shoved them into his haramaki. He rammed past the crew, and grabbed the doorknob of the exit.

"Hey, hold on!" Chopper shouted fearfully. "You shouldn't be moving so much!"

"Watch who you're pushing, Mosshead!" Sanji added.

Zoro ignored them, slammed the door open, and ran outside to the main deck. Everything ached and his limbs still felt unsteady, so he stumbled briefly before catching himself on the main mast. He took several calming breaths, resting his forehead on the warm wood as he took in his surroundings.

The sun was setting, painting the deck in reds and golds. This deck had no soft grass; only splintery planks that rubbed uncomfortably against his bare feet. The only sources of greenery anywhere were Nami's tangerine trees. Robin's flowerbed was not there, and neither was Usopp's garden. The metal plates on the main mast from the time the captain ripped it off were cool under his fingers. The crow's nest looked painfully small compared to the observatory, and he knew the helm was in the galley instead of on deck. The figurehead was not a lion/sunflower/sun/whatever, but a cute smiling sheep's head. Even that looked like it was about to fall off, what with the plate around its neck from the time a whale broke it.

It was a small, humble ship, and Zoro knew he wouldn't want it to look any other way. It didn't, however, change the fact that this ship _wasn't supposed to be here_. This ship was gone. It was _gone_ , it was _dead_ , he watched it _burn_ along with _everyone_ _else_ -

Zoro took a deep breath and let it out through his nose- he was not going to lose control of his emotions over this. Recollecting his wits, he approached the figurehead and gently rested his palm against it.

"Merry," he said softly, rubbing a horn. "What are you doing here? What's _Vivi_ doing here? Just what the hell is going on?"

He removed his hand and faced the deck, hoping to see if there was anything on the Merry that could tell him what was happening. He felt calm and awake enough to properly focus his Haki, and as he projected it-

- _Blade flashing, striking down his chest, blood spurting-_

-without a second of hesitation, Zoro drew Wado Ichimonji and raised it to block the incoming sword strike from above. Sparks flew as the two blades clashed against each other, and Zoro effortlessly pushed his attacker back. The latter landed on his feet in the center of the deck, the beginnings of a sneer on his lips.

"I think we should be the ones asking that, not you," his attacker, a young man, said as he brandished his sword.

Zoro's eye widened. If seeing a younger Luffy had been weird, then this was just plain _creepy_. He recognized the young man's face, and that was because he saw it every day in the mirror. At least, he saw it every day in the mirror back when he had both his eyes.

"Sorry I stepped out," the man went on. "Nami made me. I guess she was afraid you'd freak or something."

Zoro's eye trailed from the man's face to his three swords. One he currently held in his own hand, and another was at his own hip. The third he had left behind on Thriller Bark.

Without speaking a word, he stepped forward until he was only a few feet from his lookalike. He held out Wado, letting the blade rest against its duplicate. The pair stared at each other for a several long seconds, before sighing and resheathing their swords in unison.

"Crazy, huh?" the younger of the two asked monotonously.

"To put it mildly," Zoro scoffed. He ran his hand through his hair. "Damn Grand Line Islands..."

The rest of the crew must have decided It was a good time to come after Zoro, because they all filed out onto the Merry's deck. Now that they were properly in front of Zoro, he could see they too were different, just like Luffy was.

Nami's hair was shorter and she wore the old log pose instead the new one she got from Fishman Island.

Sanji's hair was parted back to the way it had been before, and he didn't have the new muscle mass he'd gained.

Speaking of lack of muscle mass, Usopp was back to looking like a toothpick in overalls.

Chopper, who had returned to Brain Point, wasn't as lightly colored and wore his pink hat without the blue cap he now put over it.

Vivi and Carue were self-explanatory.

It was beyond impossible, yet Zoro now knew that it was no trick. They all looked as they once did, but there was no mistaking those Voices. He knew his crew's Voices like he knew his own, which was literal in this case as he listened to his younger counterpart's. They were really there, even if he didn't know how.

Nami gasped in bewilderment the moment she saw the sunset. "Why the _hell_ is the sun setting? It's only noon!"

"That took longer than I thought it would!" Luffy said, adjusting his hat. "It felt like only a few minutes!"

"It _was_ a few minutes!" Usopp hollered. "The sun shouldn't be setting!"

"It's just like all the ripe fruit," Vivi said to herself, whatever the hell that meant.

"Hey, Mosshead!" Sanji shouted at the younger of the two swordsmen. "You could've told us this was happening! It would have been nice to know the sun's setting six hours early!"

The younger swordsman pretended not to hear the cook, instead keeping his eyes on Zoro. He crossed his arms, waiting.

Zoro knit his eyebrows and also crossed his arms. "What's your name?"

"Roronoa Zoro," he replied. "You?"

"Roronoa Zoro."

"How old are you?"

"I'm twenty one. I'll take wild guess and say you're nineteen."

"Good guess."

Both swordsmen continued to stare at each other, as though silently appraising the other. One could only guess what they were thinking, since they bore identical poker faces. The rest of the crew watched the exchange in tense anticipation for some of kind reaction.

The older Zoro felt his shoulder _throb_ , then saw bright red staining the bandages. Just as Chopper predicted, he'd torn open his stitches.

"You wanna get that looked at?" the younger Zoro commented.

Older Zoro clutched the wounded shoulder. "I've had worse. It's fine."

"It's not fine!" Chopper hollered, running to the older swordsman. "Get back in the storeroom right now so I can fix this!"

Older Zoro glanced down at the reindeer, who immediately flinched. For all that the Younger Zoro frightened him, this man was on a whole other level. Now that he was awake, every single one of Chopper's animal instincts screamed one word.

 _Predator_.

"If you w-wouldn't mind, t-that is," Chopper stuttered, ready to bolt.

A flash of emotion appeared and disappeared quickly over Older Zoro's features. The only ones who noticed it were Younger Zoro and Luffy, who both recognized an expression of… well, _hurt_ wasn't a word that could really apply to Zoro at any age, but the elder pirate clearly didn't like Chopper being afraid of him.

"I don't mind, Chopper," Older Zoro sighed at last. He began walking toward the storeroom. "Let's just get this over with."

Chopper nodded hesitantly and followed him. Older Zoro stopped for a moment when he passed Luffy, giving the rubberman a probing look.

"… Good to see you, Captain," he said.

Luffy grinned at him and clapped him on the good shoulder. "Good to see you too, Zoro! Come up to the galley when Chopper's done patching you up. Sanji's making dinner and I bet you're hungry. Okay?"

Older Zoro nodded and disappeared into the storeroom with the little doctor in tow. Quiet reigned on the deck, as each Straw Hat felt similar sensations of _so, that happened_.

"… Hey, Sanji, get started on dinner. I'm hungry and I bet Other Zoro is too," Luffy ordered.

"I heard you the first time!" Sanji snapped. "Is your stomach all you can think about?! We have two Mossheads on the Merry! And what do you mean, 'dinner?' It's lunch time!"

"But the sun is setting," Luffy pointed out. "That means it'll be night soon, and that means dinner. As for Other Zoro, so what? Zoro is Zoro; there's just two of him now, and one of them is a little different."

"I think it's a little more complicated than that, Luffy! Crappy sunsets aside, we still don't know where the hell he came from!"

"I understand your frustration, Sanji, but if this is strange for us, imagine what it's like for him," Vivi spoke up. "Other Mr. Bushido looked halfway to a conniption in the storeroom. This a hard time for him too."

"Vivi's so cute when she's worrying about other people's feelings!" Sanji cooed, emotions doing a one-eighty.

"I'm all for figuring out where Other Zoro came from, but it's been a long last couple hours for everyone," Usopp said. "And I have a gut feeling it's not getting better any time soon. We should take advantage of the peace while we can, and relax and eat."

"I'm with Usopp," Nami agreed. "Not to mention having dinner is a good way to break the ice with Other Zoro. We can press him for more details while we eat."

"You're so practical Nami-swan, that's an excellent idea!" Sanji praised joyfully. "Only you could think of such a brilliant notion!"

"It was my idea first!" Usopp protested.

"I'll get started on our dinner-for-lunch right away!" Sanji continued, running up the stairs to the galley.

"Yosh! Dinner-for-lunch!" Luffy cheered, following his chef.

Usopp, Vivi, and Carue trailed after their captain, filing into the galley to wait for dinner to be served. Nami began to do the same, but stopped when she noticed Younger Zoro stayed where he was, an expression of deep thought on his face. It was very out of place.

"Zoro?" she asked. "Are you coming?"

When he didn't respond, she shook her head and walked over to him.

"I'd ask if you were okay, but I doubt anyone would be in this situation," she said. She shielded her eyes as she gazed upon the prematurely setting sun. "Usopp had it right- this island is not natural, even by Grand Line standards. And if there's an older you, who knows who else has an older version of themselves running around out there."

She chuckled half-heartedly. "I have to admit, it's kind of exciting in an abnormal way. Everybody wonders what the future holds- maybe we'll actually _learn_ what."

"Well, that's the problem, isn't it."

Her crew's Zoro spoke so quietly, for a second she was unsure if he said anything at all. She raised her eyebrow at him, waiting for him to elaborate. He didn't. Instead, he moved away from her and started climbing up to the crow's nest.

"It's nothing," he said. "Call me when dinner's ready."

Nami frowned, but didn't try to stop him. She had a feeling he needed a little time to himself right now. Without another word, she went to join the others in the galley.

In the crow's nest, Zoro leaned back and stared up at the darkening sky. He wasn't bothered with his older self actually physically being here as much as before. Despite what he and the others said earlier, he knew it could ultimately be chalked up to Grand Line absurdity.

No, Older Zoro personally didn't bother him.

The way he kept staring at Luffy did.

 _I don't know what the future holds_ , _nor have I ever cared beyond my dream,_ he thought, _but why does he have such a guilty look in his eye?_

* * *

三

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED**_


	5. Chapter 3: A Two Year Difference!

**NOTES FROM AO3:**

 **The original chapters 4 and 5 were a little short, so once again I combined them. Don't get used to this.**

 **For this, I cleaned up dialogue and characterization, especially future Zoro's. In rereading my work, he always felt a little off. Hopefully this is better.**

 **The little discussion about Crocodile was removed, as it I felt the it jacked up the pacing, but other than that I just added little details I think fit. For example, it occurred to me that Future Zoro would still technically be under the effects of Yari's powers.**

 **Read, review, enjoy, and appreciate I was up until midnight editing this.**

* * *

三

 _ **Chapter 3: A Two Year Difference! We Are Comrades, We Will Come To Your Aid!**_

* * *

Erity liked to think that, above nothing else, she was a professional. She could put aside any grievance she had with her coworkers long enough to carry out her orders, no matter how aggravated she became.

However, it was days like this that made her want to chuck said coworkers into the nearest whirlpool and be done with them. _Screw_ professionalism.

"Explain to me," she sighed, squeezing the bridge of her nose, "how exactly you two got like this _again_?"

" _GET OFF YOUR ASS AND HELP US!_ " Yari and Runo hollered at her.

Her fellow hunters were referring to the large and incredibly vicious Venus flytraps they were entangled in. The stem of one was wrapped around Yari's waist, and her efforts were focused on grabbing her just-out-of-reach parasol rather than breaking free with brute strength. Meanwhile, Runo was using his own brute strength to keep a particularly enthusiastic flytrap from clamping down and swallowing him whole.

That wasn't even accounting for the members of Gamma Unit who were either ensnared, fending off the killer plants, or watching in exasperated awe.

"You know, if this hadn't happened twice already, it'd almost be funny," Erity said, leaning back against the giant tree she was sitting under. "Novelty's worn off, though. Some hot-shot New World bounty hunters you two are."

"OH LOOK, ERITY IS BEING _COMPLETELY_ UNHELPFUL!" Yari screeched, voice dripping with sarcasm. "WHAT A _TOTAL_ AND _UTTER_ SURPRISE!"

"Come _on_ , Yari, don't be like that," Erity whined. "I've been doing this all _day_ \- the sun's even setting. I'm _tired_."

"CUT THE CRAP! THAT'S JUST THE ISLAND SCREWING WITH US!" Runo yelled. "HELP US OR GO DIE IN A DITCH!"

Erity rolled her eyes and stood, snatching a saber out of one of her subordinate's hands as she approached the flytraps. She was no swordsman, and those flytraps had already proven to be stronger than any mere sword, but she could at least get them to let go. She didn't even have to use the sword really, but at this point, Erity was thoroughly fed up.

As unceremoniously as she could, she drove the blade into the base of the plant eating Runo. It squealed and the man took opportunity of the widened maw to jump to the ground. Erity stomped back to her spot by the tree as he dashed to the flytrap holding Yari. He lept up and gripped the stem in both hands. Muscles bulging, Runo tore it to pieces with a great shout. Yari fell to her feet, snatched up her parasol, and the pair scrambled away. The rest of Gamma Unit immediately went to work either freeing the rest of their comrades or going at the rest of the flytraps with flamethrowers.

"And Vampire Boy said the flame throwers were self-indulgent," Runo panted as he and Yari stood next to Erity. "Sure showed him!"

"Vaughan is not a vampire. I have checked," Yari said tiredly, dusting off the skirt of her dress. "He simply has a very unfortunate appearance."

"Meh."

Erity didn't contribute, her eyes shooting poisonous daggers at her fellow hunters. They took notice and gave her confused looks.

"What?" Yari asked.

"I'm ashamed to be seen with you," Erity replied, turning away from them and crossing her arms.

"Hey, don't blame us for that!" Runo protested. "We-!"

"Oh, but I do!" Erity sniped back. "You guys have literally _no excuse_ for getting trapped not once, not twice, but _three freaking times_! I'm not even supposed to be here! I should be with leading a search with Delta Unit, but no, I had to come and bail you idiots out three. Freaking. Times!"

"Congratulations, you have learned to count," Yari said dryly. She opened her parasol and propped it on her shoulder. "Quit your whining. In our defense, none of the Navy reports said anything about that coward having such… _unusual_ ammunition."

"Yeah, we were caught off guard," Runo added.

" _How_?!" Erity yelled, throwing her arms in the air. "As you _love_ to constantly remind me, you _both_ have Observation Haki! You should _literally_ see his attacks coming, or at the very least, pinpoint where the hell he is!"

"Jealous?" Runo said smugly.

Yari managed to push Erity back before she could strangle the feral-looking man, who was laughing at the latter's expression.

"Ignore my brother, I always do," Yari deadpanned. "Now, normally we would have found him already, but while we can hear his Voice, we cannot pinpoint where he is. Something is… the best word I can think of that describes this is ' _muffling'_ it."

Runo stopped giggling long enough to look irritated and clean out his ear with his pinky. "Yeah, it's like anything we hear with Haki that's not in our immediate vicinity is through a wad of cotton. It's weird, I don't like it."

"Personally, my skin has been crawling since we came ashore, but we can determine the cause later," Yari agreed. "At any rate, there is our excuse in that regard. As for our foresight, any Haki user will tell you that knowing an attack is coming means nothing if you cannot do anything to avoid it. For all his cowardice, our adversary is an excellent shot."

Erity's eye twitched for a few seconds before she sighed again and took a seat against a giant tree root, head lowered.

"Fine, whatever. Muffling effect is a concern for later." Erity waved her hand in a circle. "Just give me a status report before more crap happens."

"Who died and made you queen of the expedition?" Runo groused.

He was ignored by the women, so he just crossed his arms and pouted.

"Of course." Yari held up a baby transponder snail. "Before we were so rudely interrupted, we got word that hunter units Alpha through Omega have had no success in locating the Star as of yet. Oh, and five members of Epsilon Unit were eaten."

Erity snapped her head up, eyes wide. "Eaten?"

"Yes. Evidently, they waded through Kāla's lake and disturbed the Sea King living there."

"... What was a _Sea King_ doing in a _lake_?"

"I believe it was actually a Lake Lord. They are the freshwater cousins of Sea Kings."

"Whatever it was, it popped up from the water, and all they could do was thrash around like fish bait," Runo continued. "Luckily for them, Killjoy and Omega Unit were nearby and came to their aid."

A shiver ran down Erity's spine at the name, but she did her best to hide it. "… Do I even _want_ to know what condition Jan left the environment in?"

"No," the siblings chorused.

"Didn't think so."

Erity groaned and flopped on her back. Not for the first time, she cursed the day she met the Carrion Bounty Hunters on Darwin Island. Her life before had its stressful moments, but nothing like she'd experienced in the last year and a half.

 _Why did I insist upon doing this again?_ she thought. _Ugh, if I'd known beforehand what I was in for, I'd never would have been so insistent. The Star is not worth dealing with all these jackasses._

She sat back up as the siblings walked away from her, barking orders at Gamma Unit. _Too late to turn back now. We are almost at the threshold, as blocked as it is…_

The lack progress notwithstanding, Erity was concerned about the presence of the Straw Hat Pirates on the island. After catching the brat, Vaughan had returned to camp with Yari spitting fire, for he had apparently interrupted her duel, tranqed Roronoa Zoro to death, and left his body in the middle of the jungle.

When Yari told Erity this well out of earshot of Boss Carrion, she immediately called malarkey (which _was_ a word, thank you very much, Runo). There were two reasons why she thought so- the primary one being she sincerely doubted any member of _that_ crew would _die_ so meagerly. Vaughan's tranquilizers were insanely powerful, but if she had to bet between them and the swordsman of the Straw Hats, she would put everything on Pirate Hunter.

No, he was certainly still alive, and if the Straw Hats were as protective of their own as the rubble of Enies Lobby implied, then they were going to be mighty miffed someone had attacked their friend… among other things.

 _That will_ definitely _be a problem. Pirate Hunter aside, Straw Hat is_ not _going to be happy about Runo's new 'toys_ ,' she thought as she stood _. It's only going to make our job that much harder._

However, given Haki wasn't working at optimal efficiency and there had been no other signs of the rest of the crew, there was nothing they could really do about it at the moment. Erity supposed it was going to be one of those "cross the bridge when you get to it" situations.

 _In the meantime, I'll go find Delta Unit before it gets dark._ Erity stretched her arms over her head, ignoring the sound of Yari and Runo manhandling the men behind her. _Now that Dumbass 1 and Dumbass 2 are back on their feet, maybe I can finally get some proper work done. Who knows, maybe I'll find some Straw-_

 **POP!**

" _ERITY!_ "

Erity turned around to see _very_ familiar sight indeed.

"SERIOUSLY?! _AGAIN_?"

She would not be finding Delta Unit before dark.

* * *

三

* * *

Meanwhile, up a tree a relatively safe distance from the irate group of bounty hunters, a sniper tugged down his goggles with a tired groan.

That was the _fourth_ time those freaks let themselves get caught by the same attack. The sheer stupidity on their part was impressive, but he would have to be pretty stupid himself to think it'd stay that way. He had no idea if his plan would even _work_. Who knew when they would wise up, discover his location, come after him, make _liberal_ use of those flamethrowers, and-!

"Snap out of it!" he scolded himself aloud, slapping his face good measure. "The last thing you need is a panic attack!"

Especially since there was no else around to knock him out of one.

At this thought, he clenched his fists _. Damn it all. I warned everyone coming to this island was a bad idea, but since when has anyone listened to me? No, the captain took one look at that fog and freak current and immediately smelled adventure! That idiot hasn't changed one bit in two years!_

He felt the anxiousness drain from his body. No matter how many headaches it gave him, he couldn't bring himself to be upset about that.

He slumped against the tree trunk. What was done, was done. They were already all on the island, and he had more important things to fuss over than his captain's perpetual stupidity- like his missing crewmates. He'd overheard enough of the group's conversations to know they were, at the very least, captured. He just needed to learn where their camp was and take it from there.

And by "take it from there," he meant find the captain and tell _him_ about it. He was stronger than he once was, but he'd learned a long time ago going after something alone rarely ended well for him. Storming the proverbial castle was a crew-sized job.

In the meantime, he would watch, wait, and hinder their progress. Perhaps if they got annoyed enough, they would return to wherever they'd made camp and he'd follow. And on top of all that…

"I don't know what's on this island that you want," he muttered. He stood on the enormous tree branch and drew back the band of his slingshot, the fading light of the sunset accentuating his silhouette. "But like _hell_ I'm letting you bastards have it."

He fired.

 **SHOOM!**

 **POP!**

" _ERITY!_ "

" _DAMN IT!_ "

* * *

三

* * *

It could be almost unanimously agreed that this was the quietest the Going Merry's galley had ever been.

Sanji was at the stove, preparing a quick dinner-for-lunch. He was smoking while cooking, which he never did unless his thoughts were elsewhere. Luffy hovered over his shoulder, trying to snatch bits of food, but the cook wasn't distracted enough to not slap the rubber boy's hand away when he did. Usopp, Nami, and Vivi sat at the table, with Carue at the latter's side- the only people absent were the Zoros and Chopper. Nami studied the spinning needles of her two log poses intently, Usopp traced designs in the table with his finger, and Vivi had her chin in her hands, lost in thought.

And yet aside from the occasionally smack of Sanji's hand knocking Luffy's back, no one made a sound. Hence why they all jumped when the galley door opened. They all turned to look at the same time, and, save Luffy, were immensely relieved to see it was just their doctor.

"Hey, guys," Chopper greeted.

"Hey, Chopper," Nami replied, tucking away the Tri-Pose. "How's our patient?"

"How about asking him yourself?"

Everyone jumped again as Older Zoro entered the galley behind Chopper. He now wore his boots, his green coat, his bandanna tied around his bicep, and his red sash tied around his waist with swords carefully tucked into it at his hip. Bandages on his torso and shoulder peeked out from under the coat.

"I've finished reapplying his stitches, so he'll fine," Chopper responded, admittedly a little late. He looked up at the swordsman. "As long as you don't move around too much, they'll hold. Take it easy, okay?"

Older Zoro grunted in affirmation, then sat at the table in Younger Zoro's usual spot. Chopper took a seat next to Usopp.

"Dinner-for-lunch will be done in about five minutes," Sanji said to no one in particular. He simultaneously flipped a cut of meat in his pan and slapped away Luffy's hand for the umpteenth time. "Luffy, either you can make yourself useful and go tell Mosshead the Younger, or you can take a seat. You're not getting anything before then."

Luffy paused mid-swipe, then with a snap motion stretched his neck so that his head poked out the still-open galley door.

"ZORO, DINNER, FIVE MINUTES!"

"'KAY!"

Luffy chuckled as his head snapped back into place and he went back to pestering Sanji. Whether he was ignoring the reignited tension in the room or just outright oblivious to it was anyone's guess.

Older Zoro just sat quietly, leaning his arms against the table and appearing as though his mind was miles away. The tension derived from everyone else's awkward attempts to act natural while trying to discretely study the swordsman- even Sanji occasionally glanced over his shoulder in between fending off Luffy, only to quickly avert his gaze as not to get caught.

After another few minutes of unnatural quiet aside from disruption via rubberman, the crew heard an annoyed groan from the possible time traveler.

"If you guys have something to say, just say it," he said. "Don't pussyfoot around."

The crewmates seated at the table all exchanged nervous glances, daring one another to be the first one to break the ice. Unanimously, the navigator, princess, doctor, and duck darted their eyes to the sniper- actions that did not go unnoticed by the latter.

 _What are they…_ he thought.

Nami kicked Usopp underneath the table.

" _Ow_!" Usopp shouted. Attention now on him, he attempted a confident pose. "I mean, _wow,_ that's a nice sword, Other Zoro! All black and red-spotted… is that new?"

Older Zoro raised an eyebrow, then snorted. "Comparatively. It's the O Wazamono blade, Shusui."

"I see, I see," Usopp lied. _I have no idea what any of that means._ "We noticed it was different than the other black one you had. What happened to it?"

"Yubashiri. It died."

"O-Oh. Sorry?"

Older Zoro shrugged, and Usopp got the impression he didn't want to elaborate. The rest of the table's occupants looked perturbed by the blunt response.

 _He's never been one for details,_ the sniper thought. _Dammit, Nami, why'd you have to put me on the spot? I don't know what to make of this guy- and I got so many questions, like what was with that face he made back in the storeroom. It was like he couldn't believe where he was…_

Any further pondering was interrupted by Sanji placing two plates of food down in front of Nami and Vivi.

"Your dinner-for-lunch is ready, my dears. Enjoy," he crooned. "The rest of you crappy bastards will get yours in a sec."

"Meat!" Luffy hollered, jumping into a seat next to Older Zoro.

Luffy started banging his utensils together as Younger Zoro entered the galley. He paused for a moment when caught sight of his older self. The two swordsmen made brief eye contact before the younger one tore his gaze away and sat down opposite of him. If he was bothered by Older Zoro taking his usual spot, he didn't show it.

Soon everyone had their food and drinks save Sanji, who played waiter as he typically did, and they began to eat. The galley remained more or less noiseless save for the sounds of Luffy eating to his heart's content and the crew guarding their own food with their utensils. But despite the odd answer to Usopp's question, the earlier tension had softened considerably. They all even applauded when Older Zoro did a particularly impressive maneuver with his fork to knock Luffy's hand away from his meat, and all without looking. Anyone could tell it was a move well practiced.

About halfway into the meal, Older Zoro stopped and stared at his food quizzically.

"Something wrong, Mosshead the Elder?" Sanji asked as he lit a fresh cigarette.

"Nothing," Older Zoro replied. "I just forgot how bad your food used to be."

"SAY THAT AGAIN, SWORD FREAK!" Sanji hollered, rearing back his leg to kick the elder swordsman.

"Sanji, we're eating!" Nami scolded.

"My apologies, Nami-swan~!"

"Besides, he said 'used to be.' That implies your food gets better, at least to him, right?"

The blond looked placated by that, only to turn an impressive shade of red when the future swordsman opened his mouth again.

"I wouldn't say 'better,'" Older Zoro said, taking of sip of sake. "Maybe 'not _as_ bad,' but not 'better.'"

"WHY YOU-!" Sanji yelled, once again rearing back his leg.

"Sanji!" Nami scolded again. "Save it!

The combat chef took a long drag off his cigarette and stalked back into the kitchenette. "... Allow me to get you a refill, sweet Nami."

"You do that," Younger Zoro said with no uncertain amusement.

"Then, Other Mr. Bushido-" Vivi began.

"Nope, nipping that one in the bud now," Nami interrupted. "It's annoying to keep tacking 'other' to his name, and calling out for 'Zoro' will eventually become confusing. We need to call one of them something different."

"Oh, I have the perfect names!" Luffy said excitedly. "We'll call them Little Zoro and Zoro-pops!"

"Who are you calling _little_?!" Younger Zoro shouted, slamming down his fork.

"Who are you calling _pops_?!" Older Zoro shouted, slamming down his tankard.

The Zoros simultaneously grabbed Luffy by his cheeks and pulled. " _CHOOSE SOMETHING ELSE!_ "

"Don't worry, Captain, if our resident algae-lovers are unsatisfied, I have excellent names we can call them," Sanji said as he gave Nami her drink, coming up behind the rubberman and swordsmen.

He placed a hand on Younger Zoro's head. "Dumbass Mosshead."

He reached across the table and placed his other hand on Older Zoro's head. "Braindead Swordsman."

The Zoros slapped Sanji's hands away, both snarling, " _YOU WANT TO DIE, SWIRLS_?!"

 _Well, if we weren't sure they were the same person before_ , Nami thought. She stood up and clocked both swordsmen on the head before they could draw their swords on Sanji. " _Enough_! _I'll_ decide what we call you!"

Both Zoros fell to the ground, large bumps swelling on their noggins. Luffy's face was freed, and he rubbed his aching cheeks with a pout.

"Nami, how could you?!" Usopp yelled.

"Other Zoro is still wounded!" Chopper shrieked.

The navigator sat down in a huff. "He can take it!"

Chopper and Usopp gasped at her coldness, then made a point of leaning away from her. Meanwhile, the swordsmen sat up, breaking through the pained stupor induced by Nami.

"Dammit, Nami, stop doing that all the time!" Younger Zoro barked.

"How did you knock _me_ down?" Older Zoro asked, incredulously rubbing his bump.

"Idiots can't withstand sense being beaten into them! Now!" Nami yelled. She pointed at Younger Zoro as he reclaimed his seat. "We'll keep calling you 'Zoro.'"

She pointed at Older Zoro, who did the same. "For simplicity's sake, we'll call you 'Roronoa.' No arguments over who gets to be whom. Got it?"

Zoro and the newly dubbed Roronoa both nodded. At the very least, these names were better than Sanji and Luffy's suggestions.

"As I was saying then, _Mr. Roronoa_ , the fact that you're referring to Sanji's food in the past tense means we're acting under the assumption you're a time traveler?" Vivi asked as she tossed an apple to Carue. The duck took it and went to go eat it in the corner. "You were still unconscious, but Nami tossed the idea around. I mean, it's a little out there, even by Grand Line standards, but-"

"It's the only explanation that makes sense," Roronoa finished for her with a shrug. "I'd know if this were an illusion and the chances of us all dreaming is unlikely. Also, I only know of one shapeshifter and if I were him, you'd _definitely_ know. But you're right, as far as Line weirdness goes, time travel definitely tops my list. And I've been through a _lot_ of weird crap in the last two years."

"That's right, you said you were twenty one," Nami muttered. "Two years in the future then?

"Give or take a year. What's the last thing that happened to you guys?"

Nami tilted her head. "What?"

"Considering Vivi's here, I know it's relatively early days for us, but I'm trying to figure out how far back I've gone exactly." Roronoa's brow furrowed. "You guys didn't even _consider_ I was a shapeshifter, did you?"

" _Should_ we have?" Zoro asked, frowning.

"Is that a thing on the Grand Line?" Usopp asked nervously, mostly to himself.

Roronoa swirled his drink in his tankard. "Okay, that means you haven't met the okama, but Chopper is here…" His eye widened and he facepalmed. "You guys _just_ left Drum."

"Two days ago, after being chased down the Drum Rockies by a homicidal witch doctor," Sanji said with a shiver. "What about it?"

"Because while I knew we were back in Paradise, it just occurred to me the crew's practically back where we started." The elder swordsman dragged his hand down his face tiredly. "And after all the effort in getting to the New World. I can hear Luffy whining already."

"The New World?" Luffy echoed. "What's that, and why would I whine about it?"

"I've heard of it," Vivi responded before the time traveler could. "It's the second half of the Grand Line, where the four pirate emperors are said to rule. Most pirate crews die before they make it there, and those who _do_ make it are said to be the best of the best."

"Haven't personally run into any Emperors, but yeah," Roronoa confirmed.

The crew took a moment to let those words sink in.

"The best of the best, huh?" Zoro repeated. He grinned a shark grin. "I like the sound of that."

"Me too!" Luffy agreed. "These emperor guys sound really interesting. I wanna meet them."

"As do I!" Usopp said proudly, chest puffed up with pride. "Of course, with the Great Captain Usopp on board, making it to the New World is the least we can do!"

The sniper was not so lost in his delusion that he didn't notice Roronoa giving him a side-eyed glare. It wasn't threatening, but… reprimanding? Sure, Usopp knew on a normal day Zoro found his bragging obnoxious, but he never really looked like he wanted to tell him off for it. Usopp deflated a bit and turned away.

"Really?" Chopper asked. His eyes sparkled. "If we're the best, then does that mean I've found my cure for all diseases?!"

Luffy turned to the reindeer, eyes hard. "Chopper, don't!"

Roronoa said nothing, instead giving Luffy an appraising gaze as the latter snapped at the reindeer.

"Have we come across the All Blue yet?" Sanji found himself asking.

"Sanji!" Nami scolded.

"Sorry, Nami! It slipped out!"

"You said Luffy defeated Crocodile!" Vivi blurted out. "Do I succeed in convincing the rebel army to stop the fighting?"

"Vivi, you-!" Luffy tried to interject.

"Do we ever find Elbaf?" Usopp asked. He gasped and leaned forward on the table. "Has Luffy already become the Pirate King?"

If Roronoa planned on answering any of their questions, he never got the chance to.

"STOP IT!" Luffy hollered, slamming his fist against the table. "NO ONE ASK HIM ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE! THAT'S AN ORDER!"

The group fell deathly silent, shocked by their captain's sudden outburst. The only ones who weren't were Zoro and his older self. Roronoa still had the interested expression from before, while Zoro bore a similar one. Both waited to see what would happen next.

"I don't want to hear anyone asking stuff like that again," Luffy said sternly. "Understand?"

"We understand," Nami said slowly. "But why are you so upset?

"He's upset because if I tell you about all our future adventures, it'll take the fun out of living them for yourselves."

Everyone turned their heads towards the future swordsman, who casually rested his chin in his hand. He gave Luffy a knowing smirk, the closest thing to a smile they'd seen him make since he came aboard.

"That would be boring, and you don't want any boring adventures," he said. "Now do you, Captain?"

"You got that right," Luffy confirmed. "I'd quit being a pirate before going on a boring journey."

The older swordsman's smirk became a somewhat vicious grin. He straightened out and crossed his arms. "That's what I thought. Sorry, but the way I see it, me being here is a pretty big spoiler as is. The rest of you want specifics on the future, you have to live it out yourselves. "

Everyone was sheepish about getting caught up in the moment there. While they were curious about their futures, and not just in the ways they mentioned, Luffy and Roronoa had a point. Though, this made two strange outbursts the former had had in under twenty four hours. Though just like the other one, there would be time to confront him on it when they weren't in an unbelievable situation. At least this outburst made a little more sense.

"Sorry, Luffy," Usopp apologized. "I got carried away."

"Yeah, me too," Chopper apologized as well. "I'll wait for my all-purpose cure."

"Glad we cleared that up," Luffy said with a serious nod. "Now, bring me more meat."

And thus returned the one-track-minded idiot for a captain they all knew and shared a love/hate relationship with.

"Only you could bring a serious moment back to meat." Sanji smacked Luffy on the head with a fork. "You've had enough already. What we have has to last us until Alabasta, you know."

"Stingy!" Luffy grumbled, rubbing his head.

Sanji rolled his eyes, tossing the fork in the sink. He turned to Roronoa. "While we're on the subject of future knowledge, how come you didn't see this coming?"

"What do you mean?"

The chef jerked a thumb at Zoro. "Since you're Zoro from the future, then it stands to reason that you've already experienced all of this. And yet, you nearly wigged out in storeroom once you realized what was going on. Shouldn't you know about this island?"

"That's just it- I have no memory of visiting a weird island after leaving Drum," Roronoa replied plainly. "I especially have no memory of meeting an older version of myself then either."

"That's impossible," Zoro said. "How could I forget an insane place like this?"

"It doesn't matter if it's impossible," Roronoa said. "I _know_ we never visited any islands after Drum, and didn't even _touch_ dry land until we weighed anchor in Nanohana."

"Nanohana?" Sanji asked.

"It's a city in Alabasta. It should be the first place we visit when we arrive there," Vivi clarified, ruffling Carue's feathers at the thought of her home. "The missing memory will have to be addressed, but personally, what I want to know is how you're even here. Time travel aside, you said you were in the New World, and we were in the first half. Paradise."

"How can the same island exist in two different places?" Nami wondered. "It doesn't make sense."

"Having a nineteen-year-old version and a twenty-one-year-old version of your swordsman in the same room doesn't make much sense either," Zoro pointed out. "And it being an event he apparently will have no memory of, but here we are."

"How did you get here, Zoro-pops?" Luffy asked. "Merry got grabbed by a super current and dragged here."

Roronoa's eye twitched at the nickname, but he ultimately chose to ignore it. "Doesn't sound too different from what happened to us. We left Dock Island the other day and were basically just following the pose. I was asleep-"

"Of course you were," Sanji interrupted.

"Shut up. I was asleep until I heard Nami screeching at me to get up and help deflect cannonballs. Apparently, a ship of bounty hunters showed up and started firing at us. While we were trying to escape, the ship got caught in a current that pulled us toward an island covered in fog that appeared out of nowhere."

"Considering the state Chopper and the others found you in, I'm guessing the bounty hunters followed you," Nami said.

"Yup."

"Freaking perfect. So we have that to worry about on top of being trapped on a disappearing island where it can't decide if it wants to be _night or day_ , which I'm _still_ trying to figure out!"

At her words, Roronoa recalled a scene from his dream.

" _I can't tell you much. Time does pretty much whatever it wants here."_

 _"What is that supposed to mean?"_

 _"Tell you what, how about you figure it out and tell me later, Moss Hair?"_

"Time does whatever it wants here," Roronoa muttered, mostly to himself but was heard by all.

"What does that mean?" Usopp asked.

"Remember when I said after one of my crewmates got himself lost, I went looking for him and had to duel some bitch swordsman?" Roronoa explained. "Right before that, I met this little brat who swung around in the trees. She told me on this island, time pretty much does whatever it wants."

"So there _are_ people living here?" Chopper asked.

"I saw just the one kid, but she seemed to know enough about this place to be local. She left before I got any real answers though."

"If this kid knows something we don't, maybe we should try to find her," Zoro suggested. "I doubt she'll be able to help about the memory thing, but she might have an idea on why you're here or why the sunset is so freaky."

"Or why none of the log pose needles seem to be able to lock here," Nami added. "That's another thing I'm still trying figure out. Crocus said-"

"Needles?" Roronoa interrupted. "You only have one log pose."

"We found another one earlier. It was buried in the sand and Nami tripped on it," Luffy explained. "It's really funny looking. Show him, Nami."

Nami reached into her pocket and pulled out the Tri-Pose. "Like Luffy said, we found it on the beach. I've been comparing it to my pose, and all the needles keep spinning. I've been theorizing why and it's almost as if-"

Roronoa didn't wait for her to finish. He snatched the Tri-Pose right out of her hands.

"Hey!" Nami yelled. "Roronoa, what the hell?"

He ignored her, instead examining the pose he now held.

"Oi, Braindead Swordsman, what was that for?!" Sanji shouted. "Apologize to Nami, right now!"

Roronoa didn't apologize. He scowled and clutched the strange log pose tightly. "Dammit woman, you wouldn't just _drop_ this…"

"Who wouldn't drop it?" Vivi asked. "Mr. Roronoa, what's wrong?"

As though he hadn't heard her, Roronoa stuffed the pose into his haramaki and stood. He walked out of the galley, slamming the door behind him.

The Straw Hats remained where they were, stunned, for all of five seconds.

" _RORONOA_!" they called after him in unison. " _WAIT UP_!"

* * *

三

* * *

Night had long since fallen over the jungle of Kāla, shrouding all manner of plant and beast in shadow save for faint moonlight. However, despite the darkness not all was peaceful.

"Where'd she go?"

"She was right there, I swear!"

"Find her! Do you have any idea how many berries she's worth? Screw orders, we can't afford to let her go!"

"Think, the boss will reward us for sure if we bring her _and_ the treasure in!"

Beasts were not the only hidden creatures about. The sought-after woman remained high in the tree branches, waiting for her pursuers to leave. It was troublesome the bounty hunters had followed her crew to the island, but she had years of practice evading capture. Giving a group of expendable lackeys the slip was child's play at best.

As she waited for the men to cease searching, she turned her attention to her surroundings. She had to admit, the sudden nightfall was peculiar. It was the second one in the last twelve hours or so, and both times, the phase of the moon had been different. First a waning gibbous, then a waxing crescent. It was strange, going from day to night to day to night again.

In fact, the island was strange as a whole, but that wasn't going to stop her. During her escape from the bounty hunters, she'd heard an interesting tidbit of information while hiding behind a giant tree root. (She liked these trees. They reminded her of the ones on Skypeia.) The lackeys spoke of finding "the Star," and called this island "Kāla." If this was truly the legendary island of Kāla, there had to be some ruins somewhere. She could only imagine what she could learn here if given the chance. She might even be able to move forward in completing her dream, so she had to at least try.

She hoped, of course, that none of her friends were captured by bounty hunters or eaten by the Lake Lord she'd heard whispers of. That would be unfortunate. They were probably fine, though.

"Hey, there she is!"

"She's up in that tree!"

She was spotted. She was hoping to avoid a confrontation, but it looked like they weren't giving her a choice. If only the bounty hunters would stop being so noisy. They were going to alert others of her position this way. She needed to remedy that.

" _Clutch._ "

* * *

三

* * *

"Zoro-pops, hold on!" Luffy said, running out of the galley and down the stairs. "Where are you going all of sudden?"

The rest of the crew filed out of the galley after their captain. The sun had set some time ago, and the stars twinkled brightly in the sky. Sanji had the foresight to grab a lantern they kept in the galley and bring it out with him. He hung it on a peg near the storeroom door.

Roronoa was already halfway across the deck, heading directly for the railing. However, at Luffy's shout he stopped his stride and turned to face the Straw Hats.

"I've wasted enough time here," he replied, resting one hand on his swords. "Thanks for the food, but I should be on my way. You guys should head out as well."

"Wasted time? What are you talking about?" Zoro asked. "You were pretty content to stay a minute ago."

"B-Besides, you c-can't leave yet," Chopper stuttered, a little intimidated by Roronoa's sudden intensity. "Your shoulder-"

"-Is not a big deal," Roronoa finished for the reindeer, turning to leave again. "I'll have my crew's Chopper look at it when I find him, okay? See you later."

"What do you mean, 'when you find him'?" Luffy asked, crossing his arms. "Don't you know where your crew is?"

Roronoa stopped and turned back around. He sighed. "No, I don't. We split up to explore the island, except for one crewmate who stayed behind to watch the ship. I went with someone, but he got lost. I need to get back to them now."

"Does it have anything to do with that odd log pose?" Vivi asked. "You became very grim when you saw it."

Roronoa reached into his haramaki and removed the Tri-Pose, holding it up so everyone could see it.

"You see this?" he asked. They all nodded. "Good. It belongs to Nami."

"Yeah, you ripped it out of her hands," Sanji said, sounding angry. "You still need to apologize for that, jackass."

"Not _that_ Nami!" Roronoa shouted, pointing at Nami. "I meant _my_ Nami!"

An expression of sheer horror spread across Nami and Zoro's faces, and Sanji seemed torn between fainting dead away and throwing up.

 **BONK! BONK! BONK!**

"NOT LIKE _THAT_ , YOU NUMBSKULLS!" Roronoa hollered, his fist steaming as the trio clutched their aching skulls. "I MEANT MY _CREW_ 'S NAMI! GET YOUR HEADS OUT OF THE GUTTER!"

Zoro, Nami, and Sanji, though in pain, visibly relaxed- Sanji enough so that he didn't even attack Roronoa for hitting a lady, which spoke volumes of his relief. Luffy meanwhile couldn't help laughing, though he didn't get what the problem was.

"Thank heavens," Usopp said, wiping his brow. "Can you imagine how awkward that would have been?"

"I don't get it," Chopper said, confused. "Why were they upset?"

Usopp patted his head. "It's a human thing, don't you worry your little head about it."

Chopper frowned, not satisfied with the longnosed man's answer.

"Ahem!" Vivi cleared her throat. "You were saying, Mr. Roronoa? The pose belongs to Future Nami?"

Roronoa regained his composure. "Yeah, it's the one she uses to navigate the New World." He turned to his young captain. "You said you found it lying in the sand?"

"Yeah, it was buried under the beach," Luffy replied. "It _is_ weird Nami would just drop her log pose, unless she gets really forgetful in the future."

"You dummy," Nami sighed. "I would never just _drop_ my log pose."

"Exactly," Roronoa said. He tucked the log pose back into his haramaki. "You up people's debts if they so much as look at it funny. The only reason you would leave it exposed on a beach would be if something happened to you. Whether it was the island or the bounty hunters from before, I don't know, but for the moment I'm leaning towards the latter."

"I'll kick every single one of them into a bloody pulp if they harm even single hair on Future Nami's beautiful head!" Sanji declared. He snarled when a thought occurred to him. "Wait, you said earlier you fought a lovely _lady_ hunter. Damn it, Roronoa, you better not have hurt her!"

"Make up your mind. Better yet, think with the head on your shoulders for once, cook," Roronoa said flatly. "Her being lovely or not has no bearing on her skill, which was decent enough that I nearly lost _a hand_ on one of her attacks."

"You lost to a _girl_?" Usopp snickered.

That earned him a dirty look from Vivi and Nami, so he stopped snickering.

"I didn't lose!" Zoro snapped. "I mean, _he_ didn't lose! He said some other hunter showed up, interrupted, and escaped with her. Right?"

"Right," the older swordsman confirmed. "I was winning that fight until he showed up. Still, these hunters are not to be underestimated. That witch was fast enough to keep me on my toes and had a pain-in-the-ass devil fruit ability, while the red-eyed freak was a very skilled sniper. If they're any indication of the enemy we're facing, I'd rather find my crew sooner than later."

"So you can see if they're alright," Nami summarized.

"I have faith in my crew's abilities, and on any other day they can handle themselves, but even without the hunters this island is not natural. Anything can happen here." An evil grin came on his face. "Besides, after I find them, I want a rematch with the witch bitch. It'd be rude not finish our duel, don't you think?"

 _All he's interested in is fighting strong enemies_ , Nami thought with a sweatdrop. _Of all things that had to remain the same._

"I think I get it," Luffy said. "You're missing your crew, Granny Nami is in trouble-"

" _Granny_?!"

"-you need to find all of them, and you have to fight the jerk bounty hunters that are here," Luffy summed up. He nodded. "Okay then. We'll help you!"

"No thanks," Roronoa said immediately.

Though in character for a future version of Zoro, the lack of hesitation still threw the Straw Hats for a loop.

"Uh... don't you want to think about it?" Vivi asked.

"Yeah, we can help you look, we don't mind. We're already helping you figure out how you got here," Chopper said. "I have to admit, I kind of want to meet my older self."

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't need help," Roronoa said. "Plus you guys still need to get to Alabasta. You can't _afford_ to stop and help me any more than you already have. It's best you leave this island right away."

"One problem with that," Zoro snarked. "We were near Drum when Merry got dragged here, and you were in the New World over _two years_ from now. Who's to say that if we sail through the fog again, we'll end up in the same place or time as before?"

Roronoa scowled. He did not have an answer.

" _THEN WE'RE TRAPPED HERE FOREVER_?!" Usopp and Chopper yelled.

"But we can't be!" Nami exclaimed.

"I hadn't even considered that!" Vivi shouted. "Oh no, how are we supposed leave then?! My people need me!"

"Quaw!" Carue quacked, attempting to soothe his princess.

"Don't worry, Vivi, we'll figure it out," Sanji said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe if we find the kid Roronoa met, she'll be able to tell us how to leave."

"I hope so," the princess sighed.

"If you can't leave, then at least hide Merry somewhere and stay put," Roronoa went on. "Once I find my friends, I'll see if we can't find that kid for information."

"I approve of this plan!" Usopp announced, throwing an arm in the air and shaking like a leaf.

"If we're stuck here anyway, then I don't see why we have to stay on the Going Merry," Luffy said. "Come on, Zoro-pops, I want to find our crewmates too! And think, we'll get to explore the mystery island and fight bounty hunters together! It'll a lot of fun!"

Roronoa glared at the rubber boy. "Luffy, I don't mind if you're laid back most of the time, but I need you take this seriously. It's fine to help me figure out how I got here, but taking on the bounty hunters is completely out of the question. These guys _will_ kill you if you give them the chance. "

"So it's okay for you to risk _your_ life, but not us?" Vivi asked, a little insulted.

He gave her a look. "As if you're one to talk, Princess."

Vivi flinched, but didn't retort.

"That's no different from anyone else I've fought. People always want to kill me!" Luffy said far too cheerfully. He flexed his arm and grasped it for emphasis. "I think we can take them."

"I'm with Luffy," Zoro agreed. He flicked one of his swords loose with his thumb. "If these hunters are really as strong as you're making them out to be, I want to try my luck. Who knows, it could be good training for when we fight Crocodile."

"Seriously, who's Crocodile?" Chopper piped up. "No will tell me."

"I must say, I'm interested in seeing the woman who gave you a run for your money," Sanji added. "And of course, I'd be more than happy to be Future Nami's shining knight if the need arises."

Roronoa felt like tearing his hair out while marveling at how they could be so _dense_. This situation was potentially lethal, and all they cared about was _fighting_? He liked a good fight as much as the next guy, but this was ridiculous!

... So this was what it was like to be Nami. It sucked.

"Look, you can't come and that's final!" Roronoa declared. "I don't have time to hold your hands, and I'm perfectly capable of finding my friends alone!"

"Says the man who got lost finding his way back to my village," Nami huffed. " _Eight_ times."

"That wasn't my fault! They kept moving the place!"

"You can't _move_ a village! You'd think in two years you'd gain a better sense of direction."

"CAN IT, SEA-WITCH!"

"Don't talk to Nami like that!" Sanji barked.

Roronoa pretended he didn't hear him. At this point, the swordsman's behavior had become a little confusing to the crew, especially to Luffy. Zoro was always one for engaging in battle, and was often of the opinion that crew members who weren't should pony up or get out of the way. Seeing him, even an older version, be so against their involvement was jarring to say the least.

"Zoro-pops, I'm not worried about a bunch of super strong bounty hunters," Luffy insisted. "I don't know what holding our hands has to do with anything, but your crew are still my friends. It's not just about the fun- which it will be. If these hunters have hurt your crew, I'm gonna kick their asses. They already hurt you."

Roronoa rubbed his wounded shoulder. "I'm fine, and I'm not saying you don't have a right to feel this way. You just don't understand- these assholes are _New World_ bounty hunters. You all aren't ready for that kind of enemy yet."

"Maybe these bounty hunters are a challenge to a cyclops like you, but we can handle ourselves," Sanji said as he lit a fresh cig and took a drag. "No hand-holding necessary."

Roronoa was about to retaliate given the vein throbbing on his forehead, when he suddenly stopped and rubbed his temple. "Forget it. Say what you like, cook- I'm not wasting my time fighting someone weaker than me."

"WEAKER?!"

"You think we're too _weak_ ," Zoro said icily. He knew ever since the incident with the wax he had to get stronger, but being called weak by someone who was your _older self_...

"I don't _think_ , I _know._ I'm aware of how strong I was before arriving in Alabasta," Roronoa corrected. There was a stony mien to his eye. "You'd last five minutes in the New World, and _that's_ being generous."

Zoro began to unsheathe Wado. "Care to test that theory?"

Roronoa scoffed as though Zoro did something cute. "Didn't I just say I wasn't going to fight someone weaker than me?"

While this exchange occurred between the two swordsmen, Sanji began edging his way to Roronoa's blind side.

 _So I'm weak, huh?_ Sanji thought, stubbing his cigarette out on his sole. _Well, how would the algae-brained moron like a kick to the blind half of his face?_

Yes, it would be a dirty move on his part, but Sanji was seriously annoyed. He wasn't about to let the older sword freak get away with calling him _too weak_.

"Hold on, Zoro! You can't fight yourself!" Usopp attempted to intervene.

"Yeah, do have any idea how stupid that sounds?" Nami added.

"Don't fight _period_!" Chopper squealed. "Roronoa's going to pull his stitches again!"

Luffy said nothing as he watched his swordsman challenge the future version.

"I'd listen to your friends if I were you," Roronoa said.

"You _are_ me," Zoro growled. Roronoa's attitude was getting on his nerves. And somehow, it was oddly familiar.

"In that case, you should be able to recall the last time you underestimated an opponent," Roronoa said. His hand went to his chest. "If _I_ recall correctly, I almost got cleaved in two."

Zoro didn't respond beyond gritting his teeth.

Roronoa narrowed his eye. "You have no idea how big the world really is. If you are in fact a competent swordsman, you should see the disparity in our abilities before we cross swords."

Zoro eyes widened, and in spite of himself he broke into a cold sweat.

" _You're a weak, pitiful creature," Mihawk said, jumping from his raft to the remains of the galleon in the blink of an eye. "If you are in fact a competent swordsman, you should see the disparity in our abilities even before we cross swords."_

" _Now, you die!" Zoro shouted, charging forward._

 _Mihawk sneered, brandishing that tiny knife. "You have no idea how big the world really is."_

Slowly, Zoro resheathed Wado Ichimonji.

"Now you get it," Roronoa said. "Mihawk was unlike anything we'd ever witnessed. You want to take on the New World? Then someone like him should be what you're prepared to face."

The eyes of the crew members who had witnessed Mihawk's power that day widened as well. Usopp was ready to drop on the spot, while Nami- though she hadn't been there- shivered as recalled the severity of Zoro's wound during his fight with Arlong. Luffy was now directing a more probing look at the future swordsman, and as for Sanji…

… While he too broke into a cold sweat at the thought of Mihawk, he wasn't going to let that dissuade him from this moment. He got into positon, leg twitching in anticipation.

"Listen, everyone. This isn't like storming Arlong Park or taking out Don Krieg," Roronoa said in a low, eerily calm tone. "These hunters will be on a whole other level than them. The New World isn't the East Blue, and it isn't the beginning of the Grand Line either. There's a reason no one's been able to conquer it since Roger. It's no place for a group of _overconfident rookies_."

Sanji's leg shot forward, his kick aimed directly for Roronoa's face.

It never made it.

Roronoa's hand shot up and caught the cook's foot before it could.

"What the _hell_?!" Sanji hollered.

"Sanji, what are you doing?!" Vivi scolded him.

"HE CAUGHT IT?!" Usopp and Chopper exclaimed.

"QUAAAW?" Carue echoed.

"He wasn't even looking!" Nami shouted.

"WHOA!" Luffy gasped.

 _That came at him from his blind side_ , Zoro thought, somewhere between shock and awe. _But I saw his hand. It was up before the cook even started kicking his leg out. Did he... did he somehow know it was coming before it came? My senses are good, but to predict an attack before it's made..._

Sanji stared at the time traveler in shock. Roronoa's teeth were clenched, presumably from annoyance, but for a second it was almost as if the veins in his hand were _shimmering_. Unfortunately, they were gone before he could make them out clearly.

He pulled his foot free and took a few steps back. "How did you-?"

Roronoa smirked. "What? Don't tell me you seriously thought I wouldn't have figured out a way to compensate for a blind eye. I don't remember you being _that_ ignorant, Dartboard."

Sanji glowered, then pivoted one foot into the deck while kicking out the other one towards Roronoa's chest. " _Poitrine_!"

Roronoa rolled his eye and coolly stepped out of the way.

Sanji's visible eye narrowed further in irritation. He tried again, dropping down to a one-hand handstand. " _Côtelette!"_

This time the kick was aimed for his ribs, but Roronoa avoided it, sidestepping only moments before Sanji's foot connected. Normally, Sanji would have followed that up with a _Selle_ , but the fact the previous attack didn't make contact meant he didn't have the momentum for it. The cook jumped to his feet and began a series of rapid fire kicks. Roronoa didn't dodge, this time just blocking the kicks with his sheathed Shusui as they came. To add insult to injury, he did so with only one hand, barely moving at all.

Sanji grew more and more aggravated. He didn't understand how it was possible- it was almost like Roronoa knew where the kicks would land before he even landed them. Zoro was decent at guarding against his attacks, but never at this level. It was evident by the bored expression on Roronoa's face the swordsman was barely trying, while Sanji was already becoming winded.

Sanji tried one last kick, aimed again at the older swordsman's face. Roronoa not only avoided it, but he stepped forward and was practically nose-to-nose with the blond. Before Sanji could react, Roronoa partially unsheathed his sword and slammed the hilt into Sanji's gut.

Sanji couldn't even cry out as the attack knocked the wind right out of him.

The cook went flying into the main mast, hung comically there for a few seconds, then slid to the deck. He immediately curled up into a ball, clutching his stomach and dry-heaving.

"Sanji!" Chopper yelled worriedly. He rushed to his crewmate's side.

The Straw Hats were frozen, gawking at the scene before them. Zoro and Sanji fought physically all the time nowadays, but neither of them ever actually _won_ against each other. Those skirmishes always ended in a draw. Roronoa, however, _had_ won. To bring a duel to a tie, Zoro fought on par with Sanji. Roronoa won by barely even _trying_.

Zoro's face managed to remain stoic in appearance, but if you really knew him, you'd be able to see that he was on the verge of a major freak-out. How was he able to _do_ all that just _two years_ later?

"See what I mean?" Roronoa asked, sliding his sword back into his sash. He gestured to Sanji. "The love cook can usually keep up with my younger self, and I just curb-stomped him."

"You did _not_ curb-stomp me, you-!" Sanji started to argue, before going into a coughing fit.

"Stop talking and let me examine you!" Chopper scolded him. "I need to see if you hurt your back and ribs again, and I don't even want to think about the internal damage!"

"I've trained to take on the New World," Roronoa continued, ignoring Sanji. "Honestly, while I sincerely doubt any of them are _anywhere_ near Mihawk's level, the cook can't even keep up with me- what does that say about your chances with bounty hunters who have most likely been sailing that sea longer than I have?"

The quietude was incredibly telling.

"Um, Luffy?" Nami said at last. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe we should listen to Roronoa. Zoro's strong as is, but..."

"This guy didn't even try!" Usopp yelled in panic, waving his arm rapidly at Roronoa. "What does that say about other people from the New World?!"

They couldn't see Luffy's expression. His previous excitement had faded, and his face was shadowed by his hat. The others didn't know it, but Luffy didn't really care about Sanji's defeat. Sure, the way Roronoa caught his foot was cool, but his mind was too busy repeating the words Roronoa said before to fully appreciate it.

 _It's no place for a group of_ overconfident rookies.

Or more accurately, the _way_ he said those words. He'd obviously been trying to hide it, but there was no fooling Luffy, and the rubberman would be surprised if Zoro hadn't noticed either.

Roronoa had sounded _scared_.

Zoro didn't get scared, yet here he was. At the same time, Luffy didn't think he was scared _of_ the bounty hunters. It was more like he was scared _for_ his friends- like he was seriously dreading what would happen if his crew came along. Roronoa may have been from the future, but he was still Zoro. His swordsman only ever sounded like that once before, back when he'd been sure his captain was about to die the same way his predecessor had. Luffy didn't like Roronoa sounding like that one bit.

"Luffy...?" Vivi prompted gently.

"Zoro," Luffy said finally, forgoing the surname. "You're from the future, but I'm still your captain, aren't I?"

Roronoa's expression softened slightly. "Of course you are."

Luffy lifted his head. He smiled. "Then this is a captain's order. You _have_ to let us come with you and find your crew. No arguing."

" _Luffy_!" Nami and Usopp protested.

Roronoa's eye widened to almost comical size. Luffy was pulling the _captain card_ on him? Not only was it a low blow, but it was the one card in Luffy's limited psychological deck he had no counter for. A captain's orders were absolute, past or present.

"You're trying to make this hard for me on purpose, aren't you?" Roronoa groaned, squeezing the bridge of his nose.

Luffy put his arms behind his head, still smiling. "It doesn't have to be. Don't worry, if it comes down to it, I'll protect everyone. And even if I can't, that's what you're here for, right?"

Zoro glanced at this counterpart, gaging his reaction.

Were Roronoa any other member of the Straw Hats, he would have been a blushing, stuttering mess from the show of confidence. Instead, he stared Luffy dead in the eye for a solid minute. Luffy stared resolutely back.

Finally, he exhaled loudly through his nose. "… I have three conditions. Will you let me have that, Captain?"

" _WHAT?!_ " Vivi, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper yelled.

"Sure!" Luffy agreed. "What're your conditions?"

" _WHAAAAAT?!_ "

"One, you can't fight anyone unless I give the okay," Roronoa started to list off. "Two, even then, fight only if you _absolutely_ _have to_. And three…"

Luffy jerked forward as Roronoa seized him by the front of his shirt, lifting the rubberman to his eye level.

"If I tell you to run, you freaking _run_ ," Roronoa growled. "Run like your grandfather's coming on your heels with a Fist of Love."

Never had Luffy grown so pale so quickly. "Y-You met G-Grandpa?"

"Yeah, so you know how serious I am about this."

Luffy whimpered, but nodded.

"… Do you think we should ask?" Sanji asked as he slowly sat up.

"… No, I don't think we should," Nami replied weakly.

Roronoa lowered his young captain, and held out his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

Luffy shifted his gaze between the extended appendage and Roronoa's face. Finally, he grasped his first crewmate's hand in a firm grip.

"Deal."

* * *

三

* * *

Vivi yawned as she walked from the girl's room to the galley. It was still technically the afternoon, but she was as tired as she would be at night.

It wasn't surprising. The day had been exhausting as a whole- first getting dragged to this island, then finding Roronoa on said island, and everything that occurred after their meal.

Once the deal between Luffy and Mr. Roronoa had been struck, Tony announced that Sanji's back was fine except for a slight bruising, as was his stomach. He also briefly checked Roronoa to make sure he hadn't pulled any stitches loose. Sanji, naturally, tried to avenge his humiliating defeat. Only instead of attacking Mr. Roronoa, he planted a kick straight into Mr. Bushido's stomach.

The crew left those two to work out their differences themselves, and returned to the galley to finish their now cold food. Most of it ended up going to Luffy. Afterwards, Mr. Roronoa had wanted to start the search for his crew right away, but Nami argued they wouldn't find anyone in the jungle at night. After some bickering the elder swordsman eventually agreed to it. By that point, everyone was both mentally and physically exhausted, so it was unanimously agreed they'd get some shuteye. They would start their search the next time the sun rose, whenever that was. With the way the island functioned, no one could tell.

Nami and Carue conked out almost right away, but Vivi was having a harder time of it. She was very tired, but her body refused to fall asleep. She'd decided to brew a cup of tea to relax and help her rest until morning.

She climbed the stairs leading up to the deck and pushed the trapdoor open. Sure enough, it was still night out. She sighed, pulled herself up, and started walking towards the galley.

"What are you still doing awake?"

Vivi stumbled at the sudden deep voice. She swiveled to see Roronoa laying against the railing, arms cushioning his head.

"I could ask the same of you, Mr. Bushido!" Vivi panted, forgetting to use his assigned name. She tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. "I thought you went to sleep in the boys' room hours ago!"

Roronoa shrugged. "Couldn't fall asleep, so I came up here."

Vivi raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You, _Roronoa Zoro_ , couldn't fall asleep."

"So you do know how to say my name," he said with a slightly derisive smirk. It quickly faded and he shrugged again. "Ironically enough, it's too quiet around here. There are Voices missing, and it's throwing me off."

Vivi blinked, confused. "Missing voices...?"

"Never mind." He waved it off. "Forget I said anything. So what about you? What are you doing on deck?"

"I couldn't sleep either," she admitted. "I mean, it's technically only three in the afternoon. I figured I'd get myself a cup of tea. Do you want one too?"

"Nah, I'm good. Hope it helps."

"Thank you."

She moved on ahead and climbed up the stairs. She was about to open the galley door, when she stopped. A question had nagged at the back of her mind for hours now, and since Roronoa was just sitting there all alone, now was a perfect time to ask. She slowly returned to his spot, and saw his eye was now closed.

"Mr. Bushido?" she said softly.

Roronoa's eye cracked open. "Hmm?"

She put her hands behind her back. "Remember earlier, when I asked why we couldn't also risk our lives if you were going to?"

He lowered his arms and sat up a little straighter. "Yeah. What about it?"

"Well, I was just wondering what you meant when you said I shouldn't be one to talk."

Roronoa stared at her for several second before responding. "I think you already know the answer to that, Vivi."

"The rebellion," she said, averting her eyes.

"You think you can stop it all on your own."

"And that's wrong? It obviously all works out, given what you've already told us. Crocodile is stopped and I return to Alabasta."

Her brow furrowed. _No, wait, he said they_ left _me in Alabasta. What does that mean? I knew I wasn't going to stay forever, but…_

"You're too self-sacrificing, Vivi," Roronoa, tearing her away from her thoughts. "You don't want any of them to die, so you take all the risk on yourself."

"Like you're any better?" she asked heatedly. "You don't want any of them to die either. Otherwise, why be so insistent on us not being here? If those hunters are as dangerous as you say, then you're just as liable to die as any of us."

Roronoa laid against the railing again and shut his eye. "Guess that makes me a hypocrite."

Vivi placed her hands on her hips and leaned over him. "You're not going to give me a straight answer, are you?"

"Nope."

"Now you're just being difficult."

"Totally agreeable guys don't become pirates. Given you were a bounty hunter for two years, you ought to know this already."

Vivi frowned, but chose not to push it. She had feeling the answer, if there was one, dwelled in the "future events" category, and Luffy ordered them not to ask anymore. More importantly, the conversation topic was making her uncomfortable and she was too tired to pursue it.

"Alright," she yielded. "Thanks anyway. Good night."

"Night."

Vivi walked back up to the galley. She took a moment to level Roronoa with one more glance, then closed the door quietly behind her.

Once she was gone, Roronoa opened his eye and got to his feet. He walked to the mast and tilted his head upward.

"You coming down," he called up to the crow's nest, "or are you going to stay up there acting like you haven't been listening in all night?"

A second later, the crow's nest's occupant jumped down to the deck in a crouch. It was none other than Zoro.

"When did you realize I was up there?" the younger swordsman asked as straightened his stance.

"Knew the moment I came on deck," Roronoa replied. "Are you here to take a stab at beating me?"

"I'm not the pervy chef. I know I can't defeat you."

"Then care to explain why you were spying on me?"

Zoro snorted. "You're me _; you_ tell _me_ why."

"You don't trust me," Roronoa said.

It wasn't a question. It was a solid fact and both swordsmen knew it.

"Good guess," Zoro said with a sneer. "I know you're hiding something from us, and it's not a future adventure or whatever. I know how I sound when I'm concealing how I feel, and don't think I haven't noticed all the looks you've been giving Luffy."

Roronoa remained silent.

"'Care to explain' why you keep giving Luffy such a guilty eye?" Zoro asked, his tone venomous. "Or why you're so insistent on 'taking all the risk' on yourself? Don't tell me it's _just_ because of the bounty hunters, because you and I both know that's bull."

Roronoa's hand slipped down to his Wado Ichimonji. Not in a threatening way, but in a "just making sure it's there" way. Zoro recognized the gesture. He did the exact same thing when he was either thinking of Kuina...

... Or his promise to Luffy.

"When we were in the fog, we heard voices," Zoro continued. "Voices of people we knew, people we didn't know, and our own. _My_ own voice."

Roronoa's jaw clenched.

 _"Your time is up, Pirate Hunter Zoro."_

"I heard my voice say I couldn't protect my captain."

" _WE CAN'T WIN THIS ONE! WE'RE TOO_ WEAK _!"_

"Does that have anything to do with it?"

" _If you were to go on vacation, where would you like to go?"_

"What _exactly_ about my captain's future do _you_ represent?"

" _Fire Fist Ace died… right before Straw Hat's eyes."_

With an entirely too calm expression, Roronoa met his younger self's eyes.

Zoro was perfectly aware he had immense killing intent. However, while having it was one thing, being on the _receiving end_ of it was another.

Roronoa was only an inch taller, but Zoro felt so, _so_ small. Every instinct he had screamed at him to strike first lest he find himself with a blade stabbed through his heart- and even then, that might not save him from a merciless, agonizing death. He could feel Kitetsu hum with bloodlust, desiring a taste of the presence before him. Yet all that _paled_ in comparison to his _eye_ -

"Don't make assumptions about events you know nothing about, _brat_ ," Roronoa said coldly.

Just like that, the intent vanished. Now Roronoa just seemed tired, complete with dark circles around his eyes.

"You…" Zoro tried to say. His face was drenched with sweat.

Roronoa turned on his heel and stepped away from the younger swordsman. He started climbing to the crow's nest. About halfway up, he ceased moving, keeping his eye forward.

"Once I find my crew, you won't have to worry about me for the next two years. Get to bed. We have a long day tomorrow."

Roronoa finished climbing into the crow's nest, ducking out of sight and leaving Zoro alone. He didn't leave the spot for a long time, the memory of that single steely eye's gaze replaying in his mind over and over.

It was the gaze of a man who'd been cracked and welded back together. A man who had nearly broken, but held on by a hair's breadth.

It was a gaze that shook Zoro down to his very core.

* * *

三

* * *

All the inhabitants of the Going Merry eventually settled for the night. However, they were not the only ones waiting for coming day.

In the jungle, a sniper and archaeologist found safe tree branches to rest in, though nowhere near each other.

Not too far from the sniper, three bounty hunters and their squad made camp for the night, keeping a keen eye out for any more killer plants.

In the main hunter camp, a little girl slept soundly on the floor of her cage, unaware of the red-eyed man scrutinizing her.

In a nearby tent, a large man smoking a cigar was pouring over an old journal, his assistant stoically observing from the corner.

Near the main camp's fire pit, three individuals sat in a daze- a man, a woman, and some tiny creature. Their eyes were glassy as they watched the flames flicker.

Far away from any bounty hunter or associated lodging, a bright ship was anchored near the shore. On its deck a man with enormous shoulders lounged, staring towards the jungle and holding an unopened bottle of cola in his large hand.

Ways away from the ship, a lone thin figure traversed the jungle, swinging his cane and humming a lively tune under his breath- not that he had any lungs.

And on a cliff overlooking the sea, a young man with a large scar on his chest sat, watching the tides beat against the rocks in an uncharacteristic moment of tranquility. After a few minutes, he peered over his shoulder towards the giant trees. A path ran between them, leading deeper in the greenery.

He smiled and stood, placing the worn straw hat that had been dangling from his neck on top of his head.

"That way then," he said. "Yosh! Let's go!"

* * *

三

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED**_


	6. Chapter 4: Machinations and Plans!

**NOTES FROM AO3:**

 **Man, this has changed a LOT. The Straw Hat's planning scene has been expanded, and fair warning this chapter is quite a bit talky. The next one will have more action, I promise. I also changed up the tone of the Nami/Luffy conversation towards the end. Someone once pointed out to me that Luffy has complete faith in his friends, himself, and their ability to succeed, and that I was making him too doubtful too soon.**

 **It'll be more fun now when I crush him later :)**

 **I also changed Yari's attack names. The French thing was NOT working for me anymore. This is simpler.**

 **Read, review, and if you catch a typo, tell me! I always end up missing something when I edit (just don't make it the ONLY thing you tell me).**

* * *

三

 ** _Chapter 4: Machinations and Plans! The Hunt For Straw Hats Begins Now!_**

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

The scene in front of the bounty hunters should have been one of an idyllic jungle, with the soft sounds of buzzing insects and early morning light peeking through the branches above. It was safe to say the twisted bodies scattered everywhere thoroughly ruined the image; some were dead, most were not, but all had their spines bent at impossible angles.

Erity's jaw worked up and down, her eye twitching as her mind processed the sight. Meanwhile, Yari just adjusted the position of her parasol, staring aloofly at the carnage, and Runo poked one of the dead bodies with a long stick. Gamma Unit stood back, watching their superiors with careful eyes.

"Whew, sucks to be Delta Unit!" Runo said, poking his stick at the emblem on one of the bodies' shirts. "No one ever wants to be the first ones taken out. Good thing you were with us, huh, Erity? Otherwise we might have found _your_ leathery carcass out-"

 ** _Thwack!_**

Runo spoke no further as Erity drove a spinning wheel kick into the side of his face, launching him into one of the nearby trees. A ten-foot crater spread out from the point of impact, and Runo slid to the ground in a rain of wood chips and dust.

Erity lowered her leg. "… Anyone _else_?"

Gama Unit simultaneous shook their heads.

Yari scoffed as she flicked a piece of bark from her shoulder. "Is this really appropriate behavior for someone of your position, Erity? You are getting worked up over nothing."

"Did the World Academic Committee changed the definition of the word 'nothing' in the last five seconds?" Erity ground out. "Because losing _thirty five_ of our men does not seem like _nothing_ to me."

"If they were weak enough to be defeated within a day of our arriving here, then clearly our crew is better for it," Yari replied. "Now, instead of taking your frustration out on my brother, you should be investigating this incident."

Erity grit her teeth, glaring the other woman.

"You know you're screwing up if you're letting my _sister_ be the voice of reason, right?" Runo called over chipperly from his spot on the ground, not even sporting a bruise.

Without looking, Erity snatched a pistol off one the men's belts and fired it in the direction of Runo's voice.

 **BANG!**

"Son of a bitch! What the hell, Erity, what if that had hit me?!"

"You have Haki!"

"That's not an excuse, you little-!"

Yari rolled her eyes at her comrades' antics while Erity ignored Runo and tossed the gun back to its owner. The mohawked woman scanned the hunters littering the ground until she spotted one twitching his arms and fluttering his eyes.

"Myer!" she called out, recognizing him. She approached and knelt beside him.

The man coughed. "L-Lieutenant…"

"Sorry I'm late," she apologized in a bland tone. "Who did this to you?"

Myer wheezed his response. "One of the m-men…spotted a Straw Hat… w-we thought w-we'd get them… but then there were a-all these extra a-arms on us…"

 _… Well, crap,_ Erity thought. _Her_.

"It seems they fell afoul of the Demon of Ohara, Nico Robin. According to Navy reports, she ate the Flower-Flower Fruit, allowing her to bloom additional limbs on any surface. It is very useful for incapacitating multiple enemies at once," Yari clarified to anyone who hadn't put it together. She grinned eerily. "Her current bounty is eighty million. She would make a lovely doll."

"Are you seriously more invested in your sick hobby than the problem here?" Erity hissed. She stood up. "We lost an _entire freaking unit_ to one of the very pirates we were originally hunting!"

"It's as Yari said, Erity. They were weak," Runo said, sauntering up to his sister's side. "If Devil Child hadn't gotten to them first, someone would have torn them a new one eventually. The Carrion Bounty Hunters have no use for toys that can't play rough."

Erity scowled and put her hands on her hips. "I'm getting real tired of you guys and your obsession with toys. What, did kids not _play_ with you much when you were young?"

Runo and Yari were immediately on their hands and knees, an aura of depression hanging over their heads.

" _How did she_ know _that?_ " they said together.

 _Idiots_ , Erity thought with a sweatdrop.

"Enough of this crap!" a raspy voice within the crowd of hunters. "I've had it!"

Erity turned to the speaker, who stepped up to the front. While Gamma Unit as a whole was one of the newest units in their crew, the man who yelled had only joined a little over a month ago. If she recalled correctly, his name was Rico.

"We've searched dump heap of an island for almost a day," Rico went on. "And so far, we've found zilch!"

"Well, maybe we would've made more progress," Erity groused. She glared at Runo and Yari. "If _some people_ hadn't gotten caught by flytraps _thirteen times_!"

"Oi, it wasn't thirteen times!" Runo protested, jumping to his feet. He crossed his arms. "It was _twelve_ times. We got out of the way with the last one."

"Yes, get it right," Yari added, getting up as well.

"Shut up!" Rico snarled. "I've had it up to here with listening to you three argue and watching you get owned by that coward sniper! I'm done taking orders from a bunch of morons, not to mention searching for a treasure that probably doesn't even exist! And I'm not the only one."

Behind Rico, the members of Gamma Unit held up their weapons and shared identical smug grins.

"… So _that's_ what you were all talking about at camp last night while I was chewing out Yari and Runo," Erity said with a sigh.

"It is to be expected," Yari commented. "Not everyone signed on with Boss because they believed in the Star- Runo and I certainly did not. Though admittedly, we have been straying from the bounty hunting side of business in recent weeks."

"Yeah, the Straw Hats were the first pirates we'd attacked in ages," Runo said. "But if they were going to mutiny, shouldn't they have waited a little longer? I would have waited until Carrion had the Star in his hands, then literally stab him in the back while he was high on his own success."

"You've actually thought about this?!" Erity exclaimed.

"I said _shut up_!" Rico hollered, brandishing his sword. "You think we're not serious? Just you wait- we'll kill the three of you and then go after the Straw Hats ourselves! Their bounties will keep us set for life!"

The rest of Gamma Unit gave cheers of affirmation.

"I love how you're under the assumption that Boss, Vaughan, Jan, and literally every other member of the crew won't have something to say about that," Erity said, though her tone said the opposite. "Yari, Runo, what do you think?"

Runo grinned ferally and stuck his hands on his hips. "Who knew Boss hired so many ignorant fools into his little troupe. I think some reeducation is in order."

"Erity, do you mind if we handle this?" Yari said, closing her parasol. "I am still a tad irked that Vaughan interrupted my duel with Pirate Hunter, and I could do well with a fight."

Runo's feral grin went downright malicious. "On top of that, my sister and I have sniper-induced rage to work off."

Erity waved her hand and started walking to the base of a nearby tree. "Be my guest. Just make it quick and try _not_ to kill anyone."

"We guarantee nothing."

"DAMN YOU!" Rico roared, gaining the trio's attention again. "STOP TREATING ME LIKE A JOKE!"

Runo gestured his arms for Yari to go first, and the woman stepped forward.

She beckoned Rico with her fingers. "Stop being funny and I will."

" _RAAAAAAAH!_ "

Rico gave a loud battle cry, charging directly at Yari. He refused to be dismissed so casually- he would prove to them that he was a force to be reckoned with.

Yari just stood calmly, tugging her long glove off her hand with her teeth.

" _DIE_!" Rico screeched.

"Nerve Cut _..._ " Yari muttered, holding her parasol upside down.

Before the irate bounty hunter could react, she lept forward into the air, planting her now bare palm on his face and holding herself in a single-hand handstand for a half a second. She then vaulted herself back into the air by pushing off his head.

" _..._ _Cocytus!_ "

It happened so quickly, anyone who didn't have Haki wouldn't have been able to see it. Rico stopped charging, and now just stood frozen with his sword. Yari knelt on the ground, brandishing the _shikomizue_ sword she'd drawn from its hidden spot in her parasol out in front of her.

A small cut appeared on Rico's shoulder. It wasn't deep, and it barely bled at all. However, Rico's eyes widened to impossible size and he began to scream. It was a scream filled with sheer _agony_ , as if Yari had cut the entire arm off instead of just nicking the shoulder. From the cut spread a web of pink glowing veins, running down his arm and across his neck.

No one dared to move. Runo's grin nearly overtook his face.

Erity, who sat at the base of her tree with her arms crossed behind her head and her eyes closed, opened one eye to glance at the swordsman. "At least it's only Cocytus."

Rico continued to scream until his entire head was covered in those glowing veins, when he suddenly collapsed. The pink light faded and he fell forward onto his stomach, unmoving.

"Rico!" a member of Gamma Unit shouted. He ran to the fallen man's side. "Rico, say something, anything!"

Yari stood, flicking bloody drops off her sword. She kept her head low.

"Cocytus, the river of wailing, surrounds the lowest circle of Hell," Yari said in a low voice, ignoring Gamma Unit's cries. "Still, your traitorous leader will live. Though given the amount of pain I know he is in, he wishes the opposite."

"You witch!" another bounty hunter shouted. "What did you do to Rico?!"

"Humans are already incredibly sensitive to pain, it is how we survive. Can you imagine what it would be like to have that sense _enhanced_?" Yari finally looked up, and Gamma Unit instinctively took a step back. Her eyes with icy, but her smile oozed pure sadism. She laid her sword across her shoulders. "You lot _must_ be new if you have never seen the power of my Nerve-Nerve Fruit."

All thirty eight members of Gamma Unit blanched.

"It is not too late to surrender," Yari offered.

".. Really?" one man in front asked.

"No. Runo?"

"On it, sis!"

With an insane cackle Runo jumped into the group of bounty hunters, barely giving them any time to draw their own weapons. Even if they had, it would not have done them any good. While Yari's style of attack was quick and efficient, if not just a little theatrical, Runo's style was… off-putting.

No matter what Gamma Unit did, they could not land a hit on him. He moved fluidly around their swords, and Haki guided him out of the path of their bullets. In fact, they were wounding each other more than their target. When one hunter tried to shoot Runo in the chest, the feral-looking looking man bent so far unnaturally backward he could have tucked his head between his knees. The hunter ended up shooting a unit member who'd been standing behind him, and while they'd gawked, Runo shifted into a handstand and kicked them the jaw. Every movement he made had the same crazy flexibility- he even turned his torso an almost full 180 degrees to elbow someone in the gut.

The mutineers looked on in horror. They couldn't believe what they saw- not only was he effortlessly playing their actions against each other, it was as though he had no bones!

"What is with this guy?" one hunter asked. "Is it some kind of devil fruit?"

The inquirer was immediately slashed across the chest by Yari, who sent her brother a scathing look.

"He ate one, but the idiot is not using it," Yari growled to no one in particular. "Stop screwing around, Runo! I like a fight as much as the next person, but there is such a thing as dragging it out too much!"

"But if I finished it too quickly, then you wouldn't get to fight any more!" he replied, at the same time chopping an attacker in the side of the neck. "Feel free to jump in any time!"

Yari accepted the suggestion, as from that point on she and Runo fought together. Runo mostly used his odd martial arts style and whatever weapon he could pull off his victims- even going as far as to use fallen Delta members as human shields. Yari cut down whoever came across her path, her sword moving with great speed- she usually made only superficial cuts, but those cuts caused her victims to scream in anguish.

It wasn't long before only four mutineers remained standing. Barely standing, but standing nonetheless.

"Wanna surrender _now_?" Erity called out from her spot, looking bored.

"Never!" one of the remaining four shouted back.

"He doesn't speak for us!" another protested.

"I'd like to trust you on that, really, I would," Erity sighed. "But the fact you were willing to suicidally betray us before does not bode well for you."

"If these four have managed to stay upright, they may still have some use," Yari noted from the pile of bodies she sat on. "I elect for option B."

"Can we _not_ elect for option B?" Erity whined.

"Option B it is!" Runo cheered.

"Unbelievable."

Erity and Yari averted their eyes from Runo and covered their ears. The mutineers, though confused by the action, took weary battle stances.

Runo stood up straight, snapped his fingers, and began a strange dance that utilized smooth but sudden movements. Immediately, the air around him seemed to shimmer, and his eyes flashed a myriad of colors every few seconds. Wherever he swept his hand, ribbons of iridescent light painted the air. The colors then started to expand, surrounding his body and mingling with the hazy air. The four Gammas wanted to look away, but found they couldn't. The colors, the dance, his _eyes_ …

"Hypno-Hypno..." Runo said in a purring, reverbing tone. He stopped dancing, body erect and arms crossed over his head. "... _Trance_."

The mutineers dropped their weapons. Their expressions were dazed, and their eyes were glassy.

The light faded away, and Runo pointed a finger at them. "Here is my command: be available. Do whatever I say, when I say it. Got it?"

"Yes, Master Runo," the now entranced mutineers replied in unison.

"Good. Make yourselves useful and start collecting stiffs. Unconscious and dead draw attention away from the natural flora, wouldn't you say?"

The mutineers nodded in unison and began to do as they were told. Off to the side, Erity and Yari were able to look Runo without fear of being affected now that the show was over. Yari took a moment to pick up her glove and sheath, walking over to Erity's spot. Erity herself stood up and crossed her arms, surveying the entranced hunters and downed victims with disgust.

"That's the power of the Hypno-Hypno Fruit for you," she said as Yari approached. "No matter how many times I see it in action, it never gets any less creepy."

"If it works, it works," Yari dismissed. She reassembled her parasol, popped it open, and once again rested it against her shoulder. "One should never complain about the devil fruit they end up with, only find use in them. That is what Runo and even I did."

"It makes it easy to get new toys, at least," Runo said as he joined the women.

Yari nodded in agreement, but Erity grimaced. She hated how Runo went around turning people in his "toys." It was one step shy of slavery, the only difference between being hypnotized and being enslaved was with the former, you didn't actually realize you _were_ a slave. It was twisted, but Boss Carrion never asked Runo to stop, so he kept on doing it. Thankfully after enough complaints from herself and Vaughan, the hypnotist was under orders to undo a trance if an assignment went longer than a week- however, she doubted the surviving Gammas were going to be that lucky.

On the other hand, it was preferable compared to what Yari did to create her "dolls." That _had_ to constitute as torture.

"If you guys are done basking in your own depravity, we have to call this in," Erity said, holding up her baby transponder snail.

"Of course," Yari agreed. "And not just about Gamma Unit. Rico was a fool, but he had a point. Malfunctioning Haki or not, it was ridiculous how we kept falling for the sniper's same attack. Plus, Devil Child's actions against Delta Unit prove that, if they remain unchecked, the remaining Straw Hats will be thorns in our sides. We should not have called off our hunt for them just because we found Kāla."

"800,000,050 berries _is_ pretty massive haul," Runo noted, mostly to himself. "And that's if we can finagle full price from Pirate Hunter's corpse if we went back for it…"

"Orders are orders," Erity pointed out. "Boss wants us focused entirely on the Star. Why would he deviate from that? We'll just have to deal with the Straw Hats as they come."

"Were you not the one complaining about losing a unit to one of the pirates we were hunting?" Yari asked. "One would think you would be all for this."

"Oh, I am. Nico Robin aside, if I ever get my hands on that longnosed bastard, I'm going to rearrange his insides so extensively he won't be able to tell his kidney from his liver," Erity said conversationally. "I'm just saying Boss won't go for it, and if you try to do it on the sly, he's _going_ to find out. Remember what happened _last_ time you tried to circumvent orders?"

The siblings both shuddered, and Yari even started sweating.

"I think he will go for it, once he hears _my_ reasoning," Runo said, recovering quickly. "Think- he wants the Star so he can impress the higher-ups at Navy HQ, right?"

"Right," Yari and Erity confirmed.

"Just imagine the look on Fleet Admiral's Sakazuki's face if Boss not only brought in the Star, but also the son of _Dragon_ and his entire crew."

The women's eyes widened. If for some inexplicable reason the World Government refused to accept the Star, there was no way they would pass up the son of "The Most Wanted Man in the World." It was no secret Sakazuki was obsessed with bringing in Straw Hat since the events of Marineford two years ago. Additionally, if what they'd heard from Saffron was true, Carrion had participated in the battle himself- and, like everyone else who fought, probably regretted not taking the Supernova in.

"We phrase it like that," Runo continued. "And I guarantee you that Boss will have a change of heart. It'll help we're almost halfway done as is. "

"… Why is that you can come up with something like that and still be such a dumbass?" Erity asked, bewildered.

"Master planner," Runo replied simply. He then turned tail and ran into the jungle.

"Where are you going?!" Yari called after him.

"Back to camp! I want to get my toys to help with the hunt!"

"But Carrion has not agreed yet, and we still have to clean up here!"

"Yeah, take care of that for me! Toys, listen to Yari!"

With that, he was gone. Yari rolled her eyes again. "That man is hopeless sometimes. Erity, can I trust you to pitch the idea to Boss before Runo gets there?"

Erity sighed in defeat. "Fine, whatever."

Yari nodded and joined the entranced Gammas, examining the fallen Deltas for those in functional condition. Sighing one more time, Erity tapped Vaughan's number into her baby transponder snail.

 ** _Ring-ring-ring. Ring-ring-ring. Ring-ring-ring. Ring-ring- clank_.**

The snail's face took an annoyed and tired expression.

" _The forces of hell better be biting at your heels,_ " Vaughan's voice muttered through the snail. " _Or so help me-_ "

"Is it too much to ask for a 'hello,' Vaughan?" Erity said dryly. "Don't tell me you were still asleep."

The snail looked sheepish. " _... Maybe._ "

"Aren't you supposed to be guarding the brat?"

The snail's face turned indignant, and a new voice came from it. " _Who're calling a brat, Mohawk New Woman?! I should_ -"

The angry look shifted into an irritated one as Vaughan's voice returned. " _Gimme that!_ "

There were vague sounds of struggle before the snail settled into a tired expression.

Vaughan sighed. " _Sorry about that. The little snot- who I_ am _watching- snatched the snail right out of my hands. So, how's the search going? It's been a while since you last checked in._ "

Erity scowled. "Nothing so far except a slew of aggravating encounters with man-eating plants, a Straw Hat taking out Delta Unit, and an attempted mutiny from Gamma Unit."

" _Ouch. They still alive?_ "

"The Deltas or the Gammas?"

" _Either or._ "

"Yari's looking over the Deltas right now, and aside from a few hypnotized Gamma survivors, I couldn't tell you."

" _Fan-freaking-tastic. Things haven't been great on my end either. The kid's clamped tighter than a Longarm puzzle box about the Star and the 'others', whatever the hell that means. I can already hear Boss screaming at us after promising not to get angry. However, I doubt you called just to tell me that._ "

"Got it in one. I need you to do me a favor."

" _What_?"

"Listen to this idea the Creepy Duo came up with, tell me if Boss will like it, then tell him because he likes you best."

" _What kind of idea?_ "

"One with a potential 800,000,050 berry payoff."

The baby transponder snail blinked then sighed, making a deadpan expression. _"… I'm listening_."

As Erity relayed the details of their earlier conversation, she never once looked back at Yari. Thus she did not see the swordsman kneeling next to one of the unconscious Delta members, glancing suspiciously over her shoulder at her fellow bounty hunter.

* * *

三

* * *

 _It was sunset, the fading light painting the landscape red and gold. Said landscape could have definitely used some color, for all around Luffy was nothing but sand, big rocks, and more sand._

 _Luffy blinked, puzzled. He didn't know how he ended up in a desert- he assumed this was a desert, given what he'd heard Vivi say about her home- since the last thing he remembered was falling asleep aboard the Going Merry. He didn't know the mystery island even_ had _a desert. Then again, if he was still on the mystery island, wouldn't the sand be pink? Weird._

 _He glanced from side to side to see his crewmates. Carue was missing, but there was camel, which was_ awesome _. Everyone dressed strangely, with long robes and head coverings. They weren't alone in that- Luffy noticed he was dressed similarly. He wore a dark red robe with a long blue scarf wrapped around his neck._

 _"Well then," a voice spoke up, drawing the rubberman's attention forward._

 _Luffy inhaled sharply._ No way…

 _Standing before him, adjusting his beloved orange hat, was Ace. He faced the crew, giving them a warm smile._

Ace?! _Luffy thought._ Is it really you?!

 _Although it had been three years since the rubberman last saw him, Ace hadn't changed very much. He was taller and had a bigger, toned physique. His voice was a little deeper too, but other than that he was the brother Luffy remembered._

 _Aside from the clothes, that is- Ace didn't appear exempt from the odd fashion everyone had adopted. He wore a white scarf and a black robe with red flame-patterns along the bottom and sleeves. He also wore black shorts, black boots, an orange belt that had the letter 'A' on the buckle, and a sheathed knife. He carried a green and black patterned bag over his shoulder, and wore a log pose around his wrist._

Ace, how'd you find me? It's been so long! _Luffy tried to say, but found he couldn't. It was like his mouth was glued shut. He tried to lift his hands to pry his lips apart, but they were just as stuck._

 _"You're not really going to leave us, Ace, are you?" Luffy heard Chopper say. The reindeer sounded sad._

 _"Yeah," Ace replied. "Seeing how it's been confirmed Blackbeard isn't in Alabasta, I have no reason to stick around."_

 _"You sure?" Luffy heard himself say. His mouth now moved, but it was saying things he didn't want to say. It pissed him off._

 _His annoyance didn't prevent him from hearing Ace state they were in Alabasta, but it did nothing to ease his confusion. How could they have gotten to Alabasta so fast when they'd been trapped behind the fog just that morning? He had to wonder if this really was Vivi's country (if it was, no wonder she left- there was nothing but sand). It made his head hurt._

 _"Any idea where you'll be headed next?" Sanji asked._

 _"I have a lead to Blackbeard's whereabouts," Ace said. He reached into his pocket and removed a piece of paper. "Scorpion heard about a man who saw him out west. Guess we'll see."_

 _Ace tossed the paper over to Luffy, who caught it. Why was Ace giving him this? It was just paper._

 _"Luffy, do yourself a favor and hang on to that," Ace instructed. "Always."_

 _"But it's just a scrap of paper," Luffy pointed out._

 _"That scrap of paper will reunite us someday."_

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"You don't want it?" Ace teased._

 _"No, I'll keep it," Luffy assured him. It wasn't just his mouth this time. He honestly meant it._

 _Ace grinned, only this smile was more directed at Luffy's crew than Luffy himself. "It's perfectly natural for a guy to worry about his bumbling kid brother, right?"_

 _Luffy's breath hitched. That was one of the things Ace's voice had said in the rainbow fog._

 _"He might be a bit much for all of you to handle," Ace went on. He bowed to the crew. "But take good care of him for me."_

 _Luffy's eyes widened. Ace just placed his trust in his friends. Trust was something that had never come easily to his big brother, especially where loved ones were concerned. He couldn't help but feel touched Ace had faith in the crew his little brother picked._

 _Ace stood upright, and gave the rubberman a serious stare. "Luffy, when next we meet, we'll both be top pirates."_

 _Luffy felt himself grin. "Right!"_

 _Ace smiled, joining him in his enthusiasm. "The top, you and me!_

The top, _Luffy echoed, awed. He looked down at Ace's paper..._

 _...and the paper wasn't in his hand. It was on the ground several feet away, drifting on broken, gray stone._

 _Wait, stone? Where was the sand, and why was Luffy kneeling? He'd been standing a moment ago._

 _Luffy decided he could worry about that later as the paper slid farther and farther away. He reached out for it, not wanting to lose Ace's gift._

 _Just as he was about to grasp it, he felt a blistering heat fill the air. He looked up to see a large fist, which was gloppy, burning, and headed straight for him with impossible speed. Luffy didn't have to be a genius to know that if it hit him it'd hurt, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't move._

 _"_ LUFFY _!"_

 _Suddenly, the fist stopped. Red beads scattered..._

 _...and fire and blood was all Luffy could see._

Luffy jolted upright, flailing his arms. The action caused him to lose his balance and fall right out of his hammock. He bounced onto the floor, landing on his stomach. His hat fell after him and landed neatly on his back.

Luffy lay there for several moments, staring at the floorboards and trying to calm his frantic breathing. He finally sat up after a minute, at the same time jamming Hat onto his sweaty black locks. He knocked Hat onto its string though when he ran his hand through his hair.

"What the hell was that…?" he muttered to himself.

The dream started out so nicely. Even if it wasn't real, he was happy he got to see Ace again. What caused it to end the way it did? Why all the fire, blood, and _pain_? Luffy remembered that much- an overwhelming pain overtaking his body right before the dream ended. And yet, he was sure he hadn't been the one to get struck by the gloppy, burning fist.

 _"LUFFY!"_

His name had been called out, and the fist stopped. Luffy's swallowed a lump in his throat in realization- someone had jumped in the way. The thought sickened him. He could count the number of people he thought for sure would do that for him on one hand, and he didn't want any of them to get hurt for _his_ sake.

"Uh, Luffy?" a voice piped up, shaking Luffy from his thoughts.

Luffy tilted his head up. Usopp looked down at him from the trap door that led on deck. The sniper stared at him inquisitively.

"You okay?" he asked slowly.

"… Yeah, I'm good," Luffy sighed. He put his straw hat back on his head. "I'm good."

Usopp didn't reply. Luffy wasn't sure why, but there was something off about the longnosed man. His expression was uneasy and nervous- while normally not an out-of-place mien for his face to adopt, especially in regards to his captain's activities, there was something about how it looked this time that rubbed Luffy the wrong way.

"Did you need something, or...?" Luffy prompted.

Usopp startled to attention. "Oh! No, I didn't need anything. I just came to tell you breakfast is ready. Though it's technically eight at night, making it dinner I guess? I'm kind of surprised you didn't smell it cooking. Are you coming?"

Luffy threw his arms in the air and cheered, "BREAKFAST! I'll be right there!"

Usopp smiled halfheartedly and stepped away from the trapdoor.

Luffy stood up, dusting himself off. There was no use in dwelling on his nightmare any further, no matter how unnerving it was. Or how real it felt, especially in the beginning- he didn't know why, but the part with Ace and being in Alabasta... it felt like it actually happened. But they hadn't arrived in Alabasta yet, so that wasn't possible.

" _Gaaaah_ , all this thinking is making my brain hurt. I'm going to get a fever at this rate," Luffy groaned. He smacked his cheeks twice. "Okay, back on track!"

There was so much to do today- a new adventure was waiting to be had on that island and he wouldn't let some weird nightmare keep him from enjoying himself. It was best to put it out of his mind, and focus on breakfast.

And the adventure.

And finding Zoro-pops' crew.

In what order was negotiable.

Luffy climbed up the ladder and ran straight to the galley, yelling, "SANJI! FOOD!"

"WAIT A FREAKING MINUTE, CRAPPY RUBBER BRAIN!"

* * *

三

* * *

It was a tense morning that came to the Going Merry, and everyone felt it.

No one ate in the galley- even Luffy took his plate outside once it was apparent no one would join him at the table. Sanji had to personally carry breakfast trays to the various spots on deck where his friends sat preparing for the island expedition. Usopp sat at the base of the mast, intensely mixing up ammunition with his chemistry set. Chopper sat near him grinding ingredients in a mortar bowl, a small pile of fresh Rumble Balls stacked at his side. Meanwhile, Luffy sat near the pair, happily devouring the small tower of bacon Sanji had provided him. Though, given how he darted his eyes to his crewmates, he was not ignorant of the atmosphere.

Off on the forecastle, Zoro performed kata with his ridiculously large weights. He kept an even pace despite the slight bags under his eyes indicating he hadn't gotten much sleep. At the deck table, Vivi sharpened her peacock slashers on a whetstone while Carue paced anxiously behind her. Nami sat next to Vivi, chewing on the end of a pencil and glaring at a large piece of paper as though it had offended her.

"Sorry for the holdup, ladies," Sanji said, sliding up to the table with a large tray. "I've got lox on a bagel for our wonderful princess, a special breakfast drink for her duck, and a summer fruit salad for our gorgeous navigator."

"Thanks, Sanji," the girls droned, not looking up from their tasks.

Sanji wilted slightly from the lack of reception, but dutifully set down their food and affixed the small barrel of drink around Carue's neck. Once the duck started slurping, Sanji circled around the table and stood behind Nami, leaning over her should to look at the paper.

"What's that all about?" he asked.

"Somewhere on that island is a crew of our older selves and a group of crazy-powerful New World bounty hunters," Nami replied. "We can't go into this cocked- we need a plan, and before we can make one of those, we need to get as many facts straight as possible. I'm making a list of everything we know so far so we can prepare accordingly."

She removed the pencil from her mouth to jot something down, only to stop and look up at the ship cook.

"Okay, weird question- by any chance have you had a weird feeling since coming ashore? Like there's something there but you _can't_ hear it?"

"… I didn't how to describe it until just now, but now that you mention it, yes, I have," Sanji replied, surprised. "I've just been trying to ignore it though."

"Okay, so they're not to the only ones…" Nami muttered to herself. She made a note on the list and looked back up at Sanji. "Usopp, Luffy, and Zoro had that same sensation, so I wanted to see if it was a fluke because I have no idea what they're talking about."

"Really? Oi, Usopp!" Sanji called over. "What this about the island giving you a weird feeling?"

Usopp raised his head, eyebrow raised, which then furrowed in annoyance. "Oh, thanks a lot, Sanji! I'd finally managed to put it out of my mind, and now I'm conscious of it again!"

"Whoops, sorry," Sanji apologized with a smile.

"You don't sound sorry at all!"

"What about you, Chopper, Luffy?" Sanji asked again.

"Don't ignore me when I'm angry with you!"

Luffy shot Sanji a quick thumbs-up and continued to stuff his face. Seeing he wasn't going to be acknowledged any further, Usopp just grumbled and returned to his ammo.

Chopper turned away from his own work to address the chef. "If it's a hearing problem I can examine all of you, but I personally haven't had any issues."

"I haven't either," Vivi threw in.

"Quaw!" Carue added.

"What about you, Zoro? Is it true?" Sanji called out to the swordsman.

"Piss off!" came the succinct reply.

Sanji snorted and gave Nami an amused smirk. "I'll take that as a yes."

Nami tried to stop herself from giggling and failed.

"No offense, Nami, but with everything happening is some of us getting an odd vibe from the island really important?" Vivi asked.

Nami tapped the eraser of her pencil against her chin. "I suppose in terms of prioritization it _does_ come pretty low- for all we know, it may have nothing to do with our situation. I just thought it _might_ relevant and added it to the list."

"Then maybe Mr. Roronoa knows something? He's been here longer than we have."

"Good idea." Nami looked from side to side. "Where is he, anyway? I haven't seen him all morning."

"He was up before I was." Sanji gestured dismissively toward the shore. "Grumbled about meditating and left. Do you want me to go get him?"

"No, I can do it. Finish bringing food to anyone who hasn't gotten any, and get Zoro over here. We need to have a meeting about our next move."

"As my dear Nami commands," Sanji agreed. He left to fulfill his tasks.

Nami got up from the table and walked over the railing, taking an ambitious leap over it down to the beach. She splashed in the water a bit but quickly found her footing in the pink sand.

"Now, where is he…?" Nami wondered aloud.

After a survey of her surroundings, it didn't take her long to find a set of tracks in the sand which she could infer were made with Roronoa's massive feet. She followed the trail a little ways down the beach, taking in the scenery as she moved.

 _It's a shame we're on a time crunch_ , she thought as the breeze rustled nearby sparkling tree leaves. _Impending danger and doom aside, this island is beautiful. I wish I could survey it for a map._

Maybe when the crew found her and said danger passed, Nami could ask the "Future Nami" if she could do it… and wasn't that just odd to think about.

Nami walked until she eventually came to several large, sharp rocks that jutted out randomly from the beach. Peering around to the other side of them, she saw Roronoa.

The time traveler sat cross-legged on the ground, his coat off (with his bandages missing in a typical Zoro-fashion) and folded off to the side with his swords laying neatly on top of it. He sat perfectly straight and had his hands clasped into tight fists in his lap, knuckles pressed against each other. His good eye was closed, and though his expression was peaceful Nami could tell he was straining _something_ from his stiff posture and the beads of sweat running down his brow. As far as she knew, he hadn't noticed her presence yet.

Roronoa inhaled deeply through his nose, and when he did Nami had to slap her hand over her mouth to keep herself from gasping. From his fists to his elbows, Roronoa's arms turned _black_. They'd glowed briefly like hot metal before hardening into that blackness, which bore a gleam like polished ceramic. His nose scrunched up like it did sometimes when he was focusing particularly hard, and the blackness seemed to creep up his right arm in little veins towards the stitched wound in his shoulder. He exhaled through his mouth before they could, and the blackness faded.

"Damn," he muttered. He then said more loudly, "You just here for the show or do you have a reason for bothering me?"

Nami flinched, but saved face and walked fully around the rocks until she was in front of her older crewmate. Roronoa's eye was now open, and he stared up at the navigator with a deadpan face.

"What are you doing all the way over here?" she asked. She waved her hand vigorously at his body. "And did you eat a devil fruit or something? What was all… _that_?"

"In that order," Roronoa said, standing up and stretching his left arm across his chest. "Meditating. No. Technique I picked up in the last two years. Did you need something?"

"Heaven forbid I get a clear answer from you. Whatever, I don't care anymore." Nami sniffed and crossed her arms. "I graciously came to tell you breakfast is ready and we're about to discuss our plan of action. I would _assume_ you'd want to be there for that, so…"

"Fine, give me a sec."

Nami tapped her foot impatiently as Roronoa shrugged on his long coat. She narrowed her eyes at the wound on his shoulder before it was covered by fabric- she considered scolding him for removing his bandages, but decided against it. He never listened to her before, and it was likely that hadn't changed in two-plus years.

The familiarity would have been comforting if it weren't so annoying.

Roronoa finished tying his sash around his waist and secured his swords at his hip. "Done. Let's go."

The swordsman then proceed to start walking… in the opposite direction of the Merry. Nami sighed, grabbed him by the back of his coat, and started pulling him the right way.

"This way, dingus," she groused. "That makes butting heads with Sanji, being battle crazy, an inability to keep your bandages on, and being hopelessly lost no matter where you go. You really haven't changed at all, have you?"

"I wouldn't say that," Roronoa admitted as he let Nami lead him. "But if it helps to think that way, by all means, go ahead."

Nami startled, but refused to look back at the smug smirk she knew Roronoa was making. "Anyway, I have another question. I've been compiling a list of everything we know so far about the island and our situation, and I wanted to know if you had any 'weird feelings' since you got here. It's pretty minor in the long run, but I thought I'd ask."

Roronoa pulled himself free from her grip and walked alongside her. "Weird how?"

"It's been described as 'there's something there, but we can't hear it,'" Nami explained. "Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp have all been getting it, and I was kind of hoping you knew something. Again, it's not really important right now, I'm just curious."

Roronoa looked contemplative for all of ten seconds when he suddenly stopped and raised an eyebrow at her. "Did you say _Usopp_?"

Nami stopped as well. "Yeah. Why, _do_ you know something?"

Roronoa stared at her for a moment, then broke into a smile- a real smile with only the slightest edge of condescension in it. It was the first one he'd made since they met, and an increasingly rare occurrence these days with Zoro. However, before Nami could even begin to take in the sight, the swordsman lifted his hand and _patronizingly patted her on the head_.

"I'll get back to you on that," he said, ignoring Nami, who gaped in befuddlement. He then continued walking… but not before once again turning in the wrong direction.

Nami snapped out of it, snarling as she snatched his wrist and wrenched him back in the right direction.

"For withholding information, I'm charging fifty thousand berries. For touching me, one hundred thousand! For being a _braindead swordsman_ , five hundred thousand!" she growled, stalking forward. "And if it's not paid in a timely manner, I'm charging three hundred percent interest! Got it?!"

"What?! Witch, I don't owe you a single berry! Not now, and not then either!" Roronoa argued. "And let go of me- I know where I'm going, dammit!"

"How you managed to _only_ reach those rocks is beyond me! I should have found you on the other side of the island! After all, that's where I found you during the party in my village!"

"Would you let that go?!"

This was the gist of their conversation all the way back to the Going Merry. Throughout the entire walk, Nami had to make a conscious effort to look forward, lest Roronoa see the wide grin she wore on her face. During this brief time, she also made a decision.

The familiarity _was_ comforting.

* * *

三

* * *

"Alright everybody, listen up!" Nami commanded.

The Straw Hats, now all fed and reasonably prepped for the day, had gathered just outside of the storeroom for their pre- "Operation: The Future is Now" (as Usopp was calling it) meeting. Vivi sat in a chair she pulled up from the table while Carue sat by her feet. Zoro sat on the stairs (and as far away from his counterpart as possible), Sanji sat on a barrel, and Luffy and Usopp sat cross-legged on the floor- though Usopp seemed to be looking everywhere on deck except his captain.

Roronoa sat in another pulled-up chair, the top half of his coat shrugged off as he begrudgingly allowed Chopper to reapply bandages to his injuries. Nami, meanwhile, paced in front of the group with a large piece of paper in hand.

"Thanks to our captain, we've been roped into aiding Roronoa in his search for his crew, with the threat of bloodthirsty New World bounty hunters and whatever the heck this island is liable to throw at us hanging over our heads," Nami summarized. She fixed her gaze on Luffy. "Since we obviously want to live long enough to _become_ our future selves, we can't just go gallivanting into the jungle. We need a _plan_."

Luffy nodded seriously. "Right!"

She presented the piece of paper. "I went ahead and put together this list of what we know already, ranked from least important to most important. It's admittedly very little, but it's better than nothing and it should help going forward."

The crew simultaneously leaned forward and skimmed the list.

 **What We Know**

 _1\. The "weird feeling" Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji have been getting._

 _2\. Roronoa doesn't remember ever meeting his older self back when he was nineteen, though with luck this won't be the case for his crewmates._

 _3 Time "does whatever it wants" here- night and day shift at odd times, Roronoa's time travel, the fruit trees, etc., etc._

 _4\. The island cannot be locked on to by any form of log pose._

 _5\. This island is able to exist in two places at different times, with the fog acting as some sort of entryway. Coupled with the above, it makes leaving complicated._

 _6\. There is a little girl on the island who appears to live there. She knows about this place and could be our ticket out of here._

 _7\. There are at least two bounty hunters currently out there hunting, with the possibility of a whole crew to face._

 _8\. As for future Straw Hat Pirates' locations, there is at least one crew member who was left behind on the ship and one who was with Roronoa on a walk._

 _9\. Something has happened to Nami's older self, and both the cause and her current state are uncertain._

"Wait, why is that bit about Future Nami the most important thing on the list?" Usopp asked.

Nami put her hand to her cheek and batted big doe eyes at the sniper. "Why, Usopp, are you saying we _shouldn't_ be concerned about the well-being of a comrade-in-arms? For shame, Usopp, for shame!"

"We all know that's not why you did it, Nami," Zoro deadpanned.

"Shut up, Dumbass Mosshead! We have every right to be the most worried about Future Nami-swan!" Sanji snapped. His visible eye turned into a heart as he rocked back and forth in his seat. "I can't wait to see her. I bet the passage of time and experience has only served to increase her beauty!"

" _You_ shut up, Mr. Nosebleed," Roronoa muttered as he gently pushed Chopper away from his shoulder. "You're giving me a headache."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING MR. NOSEBLEED?!" the cook bellowed.

" _Why_ are you calling him Mr. Nosebleed?" Chopper asked, reluctantly packing up his bandages. "His nose isn't bleeding."

Roronoa side-eyed Sanji, then turned to Chopper with a grave expression, clasping him on his tiny shoulders. "Just know this, Chopper- sometimes it's _better_ to let a perverted idiot bleed to death."

" _What_?" Chopper asked incredulously.

"Bastard!" Sanji barked. He kicked Zoro in the side.

"What the hell, ero-cook?!" Zoro yelled. He drew Wado and Yubashiri to block another kick. "Why do you keep kicking _me_?!"

"More. Acceptable. Target!" Sanji ground out between kicks.

"Zoro-pops, just because I told the others to stop asking about the future doesn't mean you get to give hints!" Luffy scolded his older swordsman. "No spoilers!"

"Unless it's life or death!" Vivi added quickly.

"Unless it's life or death!" Luffy echoed. "And even then don't tell us! Got it?"

"Luffy!"

"Aye, aye, Captain," Roronoa agreed. He glanced at the dueling pirates. "While it's kind of amusing to see this from the outside, we do need to get back to the matter at hand."

Nami handed the paper to Vivi. "Allow me."

 **THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!**

Zoro and Sanji were back in their respective seats, both sporting a large bump from Nami's bo-staff and having Chopper flutter around them nervously with icepacks. And they weren't the only ones.

"Why was I thwacked too?" Usopp complained, rubbing his aching head.

"For starting the argument," Nami explained coolly as she collapsed her staff and put it away. "And implying my future safety wasn't important."

"I hate to agree with Nami about anything, but she has a point," Roronoa admitted. "Like I said before, my Nami and the rest of my crew can usually take care of themselves, but abandoning her log pose is not a good sign in any book. And not just for the reasons I already gave you."

"There are other reasons?" Chopper asked as he handed Usopp an icepack.

"Just one." Roronoa sighed and leveled a weary stare at the younger crew. "She didn't go off by herself yesterday. She had Chopper, Usopp, _and_ the cook with her."

The sound of simultaneous sharp inhales and gasps rang across the deck. Even Luffy tensed at the revelation.

"Mr. Roronoa, why didn't you tell us this before?" Vivi asked. "That seems like it's-"

"I didn't tell you because I wasn't planning on bringing you all along before, and telling you when you weren't involved would have only made you worry needlessly," he explained. "By the time Luffy gave his order everyone was ready for bed so I didn't see a point in continuing the conversation. Besides, I'm telling you now, aren't I?"

Vivi frowned, but silently conceded the point.

"You know, there's a chance you still could be worrying us needlessly," Usopp noted.

"How so?"

"Well, looking back there wasn't any sign of a fight or even a struggle where we found the log pose. It looked like a normal, peaceful beach. Maybe Nami really did drop it on accident. And sure, _you_ got attacked, but the hunters just left you on the jungle floor. Why didn't they try to capture you?"

"Probably because they thought he was dead and he doesn't have a bounty," Sanji pointed out as he lit a fresh cigarette. "There's no point in lugging a worthless carcass to the Navy."

Roronoa crossed his arms and smirked mockingly at the cook.

"… No way," Sanji said. " _You_ have a bounty?"

Zoro most certainly did _not_ look at his older counterpart with renewed interest, and he hated every second of it.

Roronoa glanced at Luffy.

The rubberman shrugged. "I know my crew's awesome enough to all get bounties someday. It's not really a spoiler. Just don't say how much exactly or what got you it, okay?"

"… Second highest on the crew."

"Way to go, Zoro-pops!"

Sanji turned away poutily, and Zoro was still _not_ interested in the information.

Roronoa turned back to Usopp. "Bounties do drop thirty percent if the target is brought in dead, so there is a chance they deemed bringing me in not worth it. On top of that, right before I fell asleep-"

"Passed out from tranquilizers," Nami corrected.

"-I heard the jackass who interrupted my fight say 'the Straw Hats are no longer a priority,'" Roronoa continued. "The bounty hunters are here on the island, but ultimately I don't think it's for my crew anymore. For all I know, we'll find Nami's group and everyone else back on the ship, safe and sound and down a log pose which I know she will somehow blame me for."

Usopp eyed him warily. ""I'm not imagining the lingering 'but' after that statement, am I?"

"… _But_ three things." The time traveler held up a finger. "One. You _really_ think Nami would just _drop_ her log pose and _not_ tear the beach apart trying to find it? Or that the cook wouldn't strong-arm you and Chopper into helping him help her to do it? For _any_ reason?"

Usopp glanced at Nami, then Sanji, then blocked the terrifying image of pure destruction that came to mind, then met gazes with Chopper. He sighed in defeat. "… Withdrawn."

"Exactly." He held up a second finger. "Two. The Straw Hats may not be a priority, but that doesn't mean we're not on the freakin' list. Bounty hunters are very opportunistic, and with the potential haul they're facing, it's not impossible they'll try multitasking. We need to be on guard."

"That's not inaccurate," Vivi added. "In Baroque Works it wasn't unheard of for agents to do side jobs on missions for extra cash."

"Baroque Works?" Chopper asked.

"Later, Tony."

"And three," Roronoa said, holding up a third finger. He turned to Nami with scowl, but the navigator knew the anger wasn't directed at her. "I've been getting a _weird feeling_ since I got here, it's setting me on edge in all the wrong ways, _I hate that_ , you're all going to worry anyway, and at this point I'd rather be sure than regret it later. They may be fine, they may not be, so let's make finding out _our_ priority. Okay?"

" _Right_!" Luffy, Chopper, Vivi, Usopp, and Sanji replied in unison.

Nami only nodded solemnly. She took the list back from Vivi. "I guess I was right to mark it as most important on my list then. Only now, that makes four of your crewmates completely unaccounted for. They're the ones we should probably be most worried about, but at the moment, it would be easier to first search out any crew members we have a concrete chance of locating." She grimaced. "Dare I ask if you know where _your_ Luffy is?"

"Doofus went rocketing into the jungle before we even weighed anchor," Roronoa replied simply.

Nami groaned and slapped her forehead. "Make that _five_ unaccounted for."

"Was it too much to hope that he would grow out of that?" Sanji mumbled to himself.

The present Luffy snickered. " _Shishishi_ , that sounds like something I would do. I hope I'm having fun!"

"Why is your definition of fun making our lives more difficult?" Usopp complained, sounding half exhausted and half fond.

"… I don't understand the question."

"Never mind then."

"Then what about the crewmate you left on the ship, and the one you went on a walk with?" Chopper asked the elder swordsman. He paused in thought. "… Wait. If the future me, Usopp, and Sanji were all with Nami, and Future Luffy's off being… _Luffy_ , evidently, then does that mean we have new friends in the future?"

Luffy jumped to his feet, eyes sparkling. "NEW FRIENDS?!"

Roronoa nodded. "Yeah."

Zoro snorted at his captain. "Considering you try to recruit every weird thing that crosses our path, you're actually surprised?"

Chopper's ear twitched at the word 'weird,' and he prodded his nose with his hoof.

"No, but come on, they're _new friends_! Members of _my crew_!" Luffy crowed excitedly. He waved his arms excitedly. "I bet they're all so cool! Tell me about them, Zoro-pops! Tell me, tell me- not too much, I mean I want to be surprised- but tell me! _Teeeellll mmmmeeeee_!"

"Just hold on, he's going to," Nami attempted to calm him. "He has to since we need to keep an eye out for them. Roronoa?"

"There are three," Roronoa began to explain. "Robin, our archaeologist. Franky, our shipwright. Brook, our musician."

"SHIPWRIGHT?!" Usopp cried out excitedly.

"MUSICIAN?!" Luffy gasped, eye-sparkles intensifying.

"ARCHAEOLOGIST?!" Vivi exclaimed in wonder. When everyone turned to stare at her, she defensively said, "What? Archeology is a fascinating and underappreciated field. You don't see too many archaeologists anymore."

Carue nodded rapidly in solidarity for his mistress.

"Then it figures Luffy would have one on his crew," Sanji said with a slight laugh. He blushed. "Vivi is so cute when she's excited about her interests."

"Who cares about an archaeologist? We have a _shipwright_!" Usopp crowed. "Finally, someone who can fix Merry when the Monster Trio are reckless with her! No more ripped-off masts, sliced-up railings, and broken figureheads!"

"Hey, Laboon's the one who broke Merry's head, not me!" Luffy protested.

"Who's Laboon?" Chopper asked.

"A giant whale who lives next to Reverse Mountain." Luffy grinned eagerly. "Next time I see him, we're gonna fight to see who's stronger!"

"Wow!" Chopper said, his eyes sparkling in admiration for Luffy. "I had no idea pirates had duels with whales! Hey, maybe this shipwright can repair the damage Wapol did to the Merry too!"

"I'm all for fixing the Merry, but we're _finally_ going to have a musician!" Luffy cheered. "I've wanted one since I left Dawn Island! I can't wait for that to happen! I hope he knows a lot of sweet songs!"

While the Goofy Trio had this conversation, Zoro looked at Roronoa out of the corner of his eye, and saw the elder swordsman leveling an unreadable look at both the captain and the sniper.

 _What's that about?_ Zoro thought. _It's different than his other looks. Was it set off by their conversation? All they talked about was fixing Merry…_

Zoro suddenly recalled the look on Roronoa's face when he first stepped out on to Merry's deck after waking up, and decided that it was thought process he shouldn't be going down right now.

"That's all you're giving us, Roronoa?" Zoro spoke up suddenly, interrupting the youngest pirates and _wow,_ it was weird using his last name like that.

"Zoro's right," Nami said. "Roronoa, we need more than that. What should we be looking for with these people, and where?"

"Brook- afro pervert. He was the one on a walk with me, but he got lost," Roronoa listed off. "Franky- big robot thing. He stayed on our ship to do detail work."

" _ROBOT_?!" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper all exclaimed, stars completely overtaking their eyes.

Nami rolled up her list and whapped each of them on the head with it. "Boys, _no_. We can enthuse about our new friends later. We've been conversing this long and still don't have even a semblance of plan beyond a _priority_."

"But Nami, _robot!_ " the boys whined.

"I said no!"

"I kind of want to know about the robot too," Vivi mumbled. "I wonder if he's like the one _Sora, Warrior of the Sea_ works with…"

Nami whapped her too. " _No_."

Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp sat back down on the ground, pouting childishly while Vivi blushed with embarrassment.

"You'll meet Franky soon enough, so just wait, guys," Roronoa said. "Anyway, that leaves Robin- gloomy woman. She-"

"A WOMAN?!" Sanji exclaimed, going into a category 4 love hurricane. "YOU MEAN ANOTHER LOVELY ANGEL JOINS THIS CREW OF LOUTS AND BASTARDS AND EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLIES WHERE IT'S NAVIGATOR AND PRINCESS ARE THE ONLY RAYS OF SUNSHINE IN AN OTHERWISE DARK VOYAGE?! DETAILS, MAN, I NEED DETAILS!"

"Dumbass," Zoro scoffed.

"SCREW YOU, YOU CAN'T BRING ME DOWN! A LADY, A LADY, WE'RE GOING TO RECRUIT A-!"

 **THWACK! THWACK!**

"WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SAY?!" Nami hollered, slamming the butt of her staff against the floor.

Sanji twitched from where he lay on the ground, two fresh bumps adorning his noggin. "S-Sorry… Nami… swan…"

"Oh no, Sanji!" Chopper cried out, dashing over to the cook with bandages. "Hang in there, I got you!"

Nami exhaled loudly and turned back to Zoro. "You were saying?"

Roronoa did a remarkable job of not looking disturbed and continued. "Right… Robin, a gloomy woman. You'll need to raise that unaccounted for list to six because I have no clue where she wandered off to. All she told me was she planned on 'exploring,' and if I know that woman, it could mean-"

Roronoa paused, as if he had suddenly realized what he was saying. Then, very slowly, he turned to look at Vivi.

Vivi felt vaguely uncomfortable under his appraising gaze. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Roronoa?"

Roronoa looked away and closed his eye, rubbing his temple as he muttered, "Yeah, no, not dealing with that right now. It's not remotely relevant and we have bigger problems."

"Not deal with what?" Vivi asked. "Am I going to have an issue with this Robin woman? Because she sounds interesting and I'd hate for that to be case."

"She's going to be one of our friends, why would there be an issue?" Luffy asked, confused.

"Hold on to those feelings, and I'll explain when it becomes relevant," Roronoa said. "I promise."

Zoro gave the elder swordsman a sideways glare. "Why wait? Unless there's another reason you keep neglecting to tell us stuff."

Roronoa returned the glare. "Didn't I already tell you not to make assumptions?"

The two swordsmen continued to glare at each other, making it extremely awkward for anyone sitting between them. The Straw Hats could practically see the antagonistic lightning passing between them.

"Strange," Usopp whispered to Chopper, who'd finished treating Sanji. "You'd think Zoro would get along great with someone that's him in the future. These two can't stand each other."

"They're both scary," Chopper whimpered, hiding the wrong way behind the sniper.

 _I think I'll just trust Mr. Roronoa on this,_ Vivi wisely thought.

"Zoro, drop it," Nami ordered. "We'll have time to pump him for inconsequential information later. Our situation isn't getting any easier, you know. Other than this Franky guy, we have no definite clue as to Roronoa's crew's whereabouts, and until we get a clue, our planning comes to a grinding halt."

"It's a place to start at least," Sanji said, sitting up and rubbing his aching head. "If we're lucky, maybe Ms. Robin and this Brook fellow already made their way back to their ship. And if we're _unbelievably_ lucky, they found Future Luffy and brought him back with them."

"We're _never_ that lucky," Usopp flatly stated.

Sanji shrugged. "A man can dream."

"I really shouldn't asking _you_ this," Nami groaned to Roronoa. "But where did your crew weigh anchor?"

"It was along the beach. Can't remember where, though," Roronoa replied.

"Do you remember the topography? Landmarks? _Anything_ that will allow me to locate your shipwright?"

"… I do remember that not far from where we docked there was a wide stretch of land that jutted out towards the sea. Brook and I crossed it when we took our walk."

Nami blinked. "Like a small peninsula?"

"More or less."

Nami visibly brightened. "I know where that is- I saw it when we first sailed in, but I didn't think much of it at the time! That's due east of where we were originally docked. Your ship must be on the other side. Thanks, Roronoa, that's actually helpful!"

"Oi, I just gave you loads of helpful information!" Roronoa complained.

The navigator gave him a look. "A 'gloomy woman,' a 'big robot thing,' and an 'afro pervert.' _So_ helpful."

"Bite me."

"Not even for every berry in the world." Nami pointed east. "That's our first step. We sail east around the peninsula to the Future Straw Hat pirate ship!"

"That's not a good idea/No way!" Sanji and Luffy said over each other.

"What?" Nami asked. She shook her head and pointed at the rubberman. "Luffy first."

"We can't just sail along the coast! I want to see more of the island," Luffy clarified. "The future me and Robin had the right idea, we should be exploring the jungle!"

"Luffy! That jungle is teeming with New World bounty hunters and who knows what else," Nami scolded him. "I already told you we couldn't just go gallivanting into the jungle."

"But that was before we had a plan! We have one now!"

"We have _twelve percent_ of plan, and even that's still pretty vague!" She directed her glare at Sanji. "And what's your grievance?"

"My apologies, Nami. I'm going to assume we want to complete our mission with some illusion of discretion so as to not alert any of the potential threats we discussed." He gestured widely at the Going Merry. "I'm sorry, but a sheep-headed caravel sailing the open sea where anyone can see is _not_ very discreet."

Nami pursed her lips briefly, then sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "What do you suggest?"

"We hide the Merry somewhere and walk along the beach, keeping to the border between the beach and the jungle. It's slower, but it would provide some cover or a potential place to duck down if the need arose."

"… I did see a large rocky reef before when we were moving the Merry," Nami sighed. "It'd hide her pretty well."

"Why would we need to hide Merry? We just moved her," Usopp asked.

"I think I know why," Chopper piped up. "It's like Laphans- when they hunt, they sometimes send other members of the pack to search around the surrounding area for other signs of their prey, like dens. They wreck them to draw them out."

"Very good, Chopper. That's exactly right," Sanji said. "If I were leading a crew of bounty hunters onto an island I _know_ pirates are staying, I'd make camp somewhere while the rest of the group sailed around looking for the pirates' ship. Wreck that, and they're essentially trapped."

"I can confirm that," Vivi said. "It's a very tried and true tactic in the bounty hunting world."

"You bastard, don't think flattering me will get you anywhere!" Chopper declared gleefully. "It won't, dumbass!"

Sanji gave Chopper a warm smile, then shot Usopp a dark one. "And _that's_ why we need to hide Merry. Unless you _want_ her to be completely obliterated?"

Usopp raised his hand in the air. "I am all for the 'hide the Going Merry' plan!"

"That's what I thought."

"We'll have to split into groups then," Zoro spoke up. "We can't leave the ship unguarded, even if it's hidden."

Nami looked to Roronoa. "Is that okay? You're the one who was so worried about our well-beings before. Can we afford to split up?"

Roronoa frowned, but sighed. "Yeah, I think I know a way to make that work."

"Then I guess that's it. We hide the Merry, find this Franky guy, and… take it from there," Nami summarized in an exhausted tone. She perked up. "Oh, and keep an eye out for that kid. She's our best prospect for getting out of here."

She brandished her staff. "Everyone, finish any last minute preparations you need to make and we'll pick groups! We leave in half an hour, and let's be quick because we don't know how long daylight will last! Now, _break_!"

* * *

三

* * *

"Hey, Nami, you in here?" Luffy said, opening the storeroom door. "Sanji's making pirate lunches but he won't let me have one, and I can't find Usopp to help me steal any, so can I- Nami?"

The sight the rubberman was greeted with was of his navigator banging her head against the back wall of the room.

"Hey, Luffy," she said monotonously. "What's up?"

Luffy blinked owlishly and closed the door behind him, taking a moment to switch on the limp oil lamp on the wall. "Why are you hitting your head on the wall? You always tell me not to do that."

"I can afford the brain cells, you can't," she retorted. She stopped and take a seat on a crate. "I'm just lamenting our little escapade. The planning session was a disaster."

"It was _really_ boring," Luffy admitted. "I think we got a lot done, though."

"We got almost _nothing_ done," Nami said. "Our plan is basically an advanced version of 'wing it and hope for the best,' which- while it may have worked in the past- is not the best policy here. In addition, Zoro and Roronoa are two steps from being at each other's throats, we have only one Future Straw Hat we can feasibly find, Usopp hasn't finished the project I gave him so I'm going out there with _a stick_ , and it's- it's-" She groaned and lowered her head as she rubbed her temple. "It's just a mess."

Luffy hummed a bit before flashing Nami a grin. "It'll work out."

Nami lifted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Just like that?"

"Yup!" Luffy gave her a thumb's up. "You're _my_ friends, aren't you?"

Nami rolled her eyes. She pushed Luffy's hat over his eyes, but she smiled. "Moron. You're way too optimistic."

Luffy laughed and readjusted his hat. He sat down on a crate next to Nami and kicked his legs in silence for a few moments.

"What _is_ up with Zoro?" Luffy asked at last. "He's acting really weird today. Usopp too, but mostly Zoro."

Nami leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "I don't really know, but if I had to venture a guess, I would say it has to do with Roronoa."

"What about him?"

"I don't think Zoro trusts him very much."

Luffy frowned in confusion. "Huh? Zoro-pops is _Zoro_. Why wouldn't Zoro trust himself?"

"Technically, he's Zoro in two years."

"What difference does that make?" Luffy asked.

"It may not sound like much, but two years is a pretty long time," Nami replied. "People change."

"It's not _that_ long."

"It is for pirates. Our lives are pretty rough, and a lot can happen in two years. Roronoa may not be the same Zoro we know now, and maybe Zoro is uncomfortable with that. At the very least he's twice the monster Zoro is now. It makes me wonder how much everyone else might have changed too."

"… Do _you_ think he's changed?" Luffy asked.

Nami bit her lip, thinking it over. Finally, she sat up and smiled softly at her captain.

" _Maybe_ a little, but you know what?" she responded. "He's still Zoro- directionally challenged, boorish, and ultimately good to have around. And that's just enough for me to trust him."

"Sounds legit to me," Luffy agreed. "Who cares if he's old and grouchy and only got one eye- Zoro's Zoro. He's a fondant. "

Nami snickered. "I bet the story about how he lost that eye is really embarrassing and that's the real reason he hasn't said anything. Also, I think you mean _constant_."

"Yeah, that. Zoro's the crew's stonson."

" _Constant_ , Luffy. That's not even close, you're doing this on purpose!"

" _Shishishi!_ "

Nami shoved his shoulder and stood up. "Alright, enough heart-to-hearts. We have a mission to complete- one _you_ dragged us into."

Luffy stood as well. "Go ahead, I'm right behind you."

Nami gave him one last smile before exiting the storeroom, leaving Luffy to himself. The pirate captain sat back down, Nami's earlier words repeating in his head.

Granted, he knew people did change as time went on. Ace had been really mean when they first met, but got nicer as the years went by. He personally had been a crybaby weakling as a kid, but got getter as he got older. But that was _ten_ years, not _two_. Zoro-pops, or anyone else, couldn't have changed _that_ much.

Not enough that it would make them untrustworthy, anyway. Zoro needed to chill. Zoro-pops was still a Straw Hat and still trying to protect the crew, and that was all that mattered.

Besides, how could anyone say his 'future' friends had changed if they haven't met them yet?

* * *

三

* * *

 _Yohohoho, Yohohoho, Yohohoho, Yohohoho..._

The sun had long since risen again. It had only been night for roughly eight hours, but he wasn't complaining. He never did like sitting in the dark for too long. It brought forth too many harsh memories. He was grateful the fog from before hadn't made its way to the island yet; he'd had enough fog for one lifetime, thank you very much.

... Then again, he was technically on his second one, so he really shouldn't complain.

He took a sip of the tea he always carried around in a thermos. He still hadn't been able to find the others, including the crewmate he had gotten separated from. It was a little silly, seeing as he'd gone with him to ensure _he_ didn't get lost, but some things were just unavoidable. It was understandable this time, though. The island was big and confusing. He couldn't even remember where they'd docked the ship. He'd been alone for quite some time now.

... He didn't like being alone.

It was a good time to take a break, he decided. His crewmate was very capable and could care for himself. Perhaps he already made his way back to the ship and the others were currently looking for him as well. All he really needed to do was wait. The only issue remaining was how to pass the time until he either found his friends, or they found him.

... He knew it was a good idea to bring his violin along. He pulled his bow back, and began to play.

 _Yohohoho, Yohohoho, Yohohoho, Yohohoho..._

 _Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew._

 _Sea wind blows, to where, who knows? The waves will be our guide..._

* * *

三

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED**_


	7. Chapter 5: A Superstar Arrives!

**NOTES FROM AO3:**

 **Hoo boy, lots to say here!**

 **First, I'm taking this time to remind everyone that the story DOES have a TV Tropes page, so feel free to add to it at your leisure. Here's part of the link: Fanfic/TomorrowsRomanceDawn**

 **Second, school will be starting up for me again soon. That being said, I'm going to try and update this at least once a month. We'll see how it goes.**

 **Third, let's talk changes. One change was me removing Vivi's concerns about the crew in Alabasta during her talk with Usopp. I realized that, in the long run, that wasn't really where her concerns lay. Another change was leaving Zoro on the Merry- I thought it made sense to give the pair more back-up. Though why didn't Roronoa have Sanji- who's also not recognizable from his future self's current wanted poster- stay behind? Because Roronoa would rather risk his own younger self than the others. Zoro would agree.**

 **You'll also notice I've been cutting down on the gratuitous Japanese. Though that's the manga's original language, it's not technically the language spoken in One Piece world in except maybe Wano. This makes things a little cleaner. I've replaced a certain someone's use of the honorific "-san" with the "Mr./Ms." equivalent in order to get the same effect.**

 **I also changed up the fight with the Tattoos (such as giving him his name and giving him more personality). I'm much happier with this version.**

 **Lastly, this chapter officially introduces Jan, a character original to the edited version. I created him due to the fact that, when I was planning match-ups for the final fights, things were a little uneven. Much like Erity, he was made so there would be more strong people to fight, but he'll get his development like everyone else.**

 **Now read, review, and enjoy the next chapter!**

* * *

三

 _ **Chapter 5: A Superstar Arrives! Dead Men Tell No Tales, But They Do Sing Songs!**_

* * *

"So that's how it is, huh?"

" _Correct. Carrion was surprisingly enthusiastic about the idea,_ "Yari's voice said through the baby transponder snail. Its face looked vaguely irritated. _"I am glad my brother already ran off. He is going to be insufferable for days."_

" _You're_ dealing with him," he said.

"Ignoring _is more like it. And speaking of surprise, I am surprised Erity actually called in Runo's idea._ "

"Was there doubt she would?"

" _Personally, I would not have put it past her to pretend and then watch the fur fly when Boss found out we went against orders. She claims to be all for hunting the Straw Hats, but I have my doubts. Aside from Vaughan and yourself, she is one of the most gung-ho about securing the Star._ "

"As they should be. The Carrion Bounty Hunters, despite our title, have the main objective of locating the Star. Now that we've finally found Kāla, we should put all our energy into getting it. The Straw Hats are an unwelcome distraction, and Boss should know that."

"… _Killjoy_."

He scoffed and leaned against the large rock he sat on. He paid no heed to the rustling bushes to his right.

"Don't get me wrong, I have my own, _multiple_ reasons to want see Straw Hat heads roll. Someone needs to keep our men on task, is all. Hence why I'm now spearheading our remaining units' Star search while you lieutenants hunt pirates." He examined his nails airily. "Actually, I'll be generous- I'll send Theta Unit your direction to aid in the hunt. How does that sound?"

" _I suspect you will do so even if I argue_ ," Yari observed. " _Do as you wish. I am going to collect Pirate Hunter's corpse, so send them southeast of camp._ "

"Understood. And do be careful- Observation Haki's reach seems to be somewhat limited here."

" _I have noticed."_

 _ **Fwoosh!**_

"GROAAAAAAAW _!_ "

He didn't so much as blink as an enormous, snarling smilodon leapt into the air from the bushes, long canines bared in an attempt to clamp its jaws around its prey's neck.

Thus it was very dumbfounded when said prey's large hand shot up and wrapped entirely around one of its fangs, almost hiding it. It dangled in place, clawing the air for some purchase to escape.

" _What was that?"_ Yari asked.

He didn't reply. He lightly squeezed the smilodon's fang, and the tooth _burst_ into a thick fluid. The smilodon fell to the ground, yowling in pain and pawing its mouth. Finally, it scrambled to its feet and took off into the tree line.

" _Hello? Anyone there?"_ If snails had eyebrows, it would be knitting them. _"What happened? Jan, answer me you fool!_ "

"… THAT WAS SCAAAAARY!" Jan shouted suddenly and loudly into the snail. "A SABERTOOTH CAT NEARLY ATE MY HEEEEEAD!"

"… _Jan, I sincerely doubt_ any _type of reasonable creature could swallow_ your _head."_

"Don't mock me! My whole life just flashed before my eyes!" He paused. "Hey, Monty still owes me five thousand berries! I need to collect on that."

"… _You know your duties,"_ Yari said tonelessly _. "Remember to report regularly. Yari out."_

 _ **Click**_ **.**

Jan scowled at the snail, who quickly slid into its shell.

"Bitch," he muttered. "Only one person tells me what to do, and you're not them."

He looked over shoulder at the rest of Omega Unit, who had waited patiently for him to finish his call. He chuckled breathlessly and stood, rising to his full height. The men and women before him had to crane their necks to meet his gaze.

"You heard her," he said. "Back to work."

"Yes sir!"

Jan watched as the group made towards the thick jungle. He began to follow them, but stopped when his hand caught his eye. It was still covered in liquefied bone.

He raised it to his mouth and slowly licked it clean.

"… It's not bad."

Now if only he could do that to a certain someone's teeth. Maybe it would shut her up for good.

* * *

三

* * *

"Bye, Carue! Bye, Vivi! Bye, Usopp! Bye, Zoro!" Luffy called out, walking backward as he waved the duck, princess, swordsman and sniper goodbye. "Take care of Merry while we're gone!"

"Aye-aye, Captain!" Usopp's anxious voice called back.

"Good luck, everyone!" Vivi added.

The rubberman assumed they were waving back to him. He could no longer see them from the semi-distant rocky reef they hid Merry behind.

"You too! We'll be back as soon as we find my robot shipwright!" Luffy said before jogging to the front of the group next to his navigator.

"Could you _be_ any louder?" Nami hissed. "The point of this is to be _discreet_."

"We're leaving them behind, the least I can do is say goodbye," Luffy replied. He stooped down to pick up a long stick. "Don't be so rude, Nami."

"You're one to talk about rudeness!"

Behind the pair, Sanji, Roronoa, and Chopper- in Walk Point and acting as pack mule- followed as the entire group kept to the border where the jungle met the beach.

"I still don't like leaving Vivi behind alone," Sanji grumbled, arms crossed.

"She has Usopp, Zoro, and Carue, too," Chopper pointed out.

"Usopp didn't want to stay either, Carue gets Vivi's commands wrong half the time, and Zoro is self-explanatory."

"Screw you too, Cook," Roronoa commented. "It's what worked out best, so you'll just have to deal with it."

Earlier, once everyone had regrouped and completed last-minute prep, the remaining task was to divide into groups. And as promised, Roronoa did have a way to make it work despite the less-than-favorable circumstances.

" _WHAT?!" Sanji hollered. "YOU WANT TO LEAVE VIVI BEHIND ALL BY HERSELF?!"_

 _Roronoa glared at him and dug into his ear with his pinky. "I never said that. Usopp, Carue, and Zoro are staying too." He paused. "… That's not going to get any less weird, is it?"_

" _Doubtful," his younger self confirmed._

" _I'm…_ okay _with the decision," Vivi said. "But I assume you have reason for this particular match-up?"_

" _I'd like to know that too!" Usopp demanded. He clutched his stomach, "I think I'm coming down with I'll-die-if-I-stay-on-the-Merry-without-future-swordsman-protection disease."_

" _What?!" Chopper exclaimed. "I've never heard of that illness! Let me examine you right now!"_

" _Vivi and Carue don't have bounties," Roronoa said bluntly, ignoring the doctor and sniper. "And you wouldn't be able to recognize Usopp from his wanted poster. If they're spotted by the hunters, there's a chance they'll be ignored."_

" _I can feel the darkness closing- wait, I have a bounty?" Usopp questioned mid-hamming it up._

"Usopp _has a bounty?" Sanji echoed._

" _What do you mean by that?" the sniper snapped. He pointed his thumb at his chest, making a haughty face. "Clearly the government finally recognizes me for the brave warrior of the sea that I am!"_

" _It also means you're a target for vicious future bounty hunters," Nami teased._

 _Usopp slumped again. "Now I have can't-face-vicious-future-bounty-hunters disease…"_

" _Usopp!" Chopper wailed. "I'll try to help as best I can!"_

 _Nami facepalmed with a groan._

" _Why does Zoro have to stay then? You said you had a bounty too," Luffy asked. "It's bad enough we have leave Vivi and Usopp and Carue. I want us to all be together."_

" _I know, but he's their back-up," Roronoa explained. "On the likely chance they do get targeted, it's his job to get the ship or them out of here."_

" _But you said we had no chance of defeating these guys," Sanji complained._

" _He doesn't have to defeat them in this case. If he can protect the ship or the crew, that's all that matters," Roronoa said. He shrugged. "It'd be a victory in my book."_

 _Zoro frowned sourly, but didn't argue. No one did after that._

"… I also still can't believeUsopp of all people has a bounty," Sanji commented after a few moments. "I mean, he's capable- he beat that fishman after all. But it's _Usopp_."

"Saying it over and over isn't going to make it any less true," Roronoa said irritably.

"Yeah, Sanji! Have a little faith in our sniper!" Luffy declared.

"What the heck did he even doto earn one?" Sanji asked, curious and now just a tad impressed. "Luffy had to take down every top pirate in the East Blue before the government issued his."

Roronoa smirked, as though remembering something with pride. "That would be telling."

"... I have a wanted poster, right?"

"Sanji!" Luffy scolded, turning to whack Sanji lightly on the head with his new walking stick. Which, considering it was Luffy, meant it still smarted.

"Ow! Come on, Luffy!" the chef complained. "The fact we're out here instead of back on the Going Merry means we all have recognizable wanted posters. You said so yourself; you expect us all to have one someday. It's not really a spoiler."

Nami hung her head. _Why'd he have to bring it up? …No, I'm not going to think about it. I'll just keep moving forward._

Chopper's eyes shone with wonder. _My own bounty…_

Luffy crossed his arms and huffed. "It's the princess-able of the thing."

"I think you mean, 'principle.'" Sanji rolled his eyes and turned back to Roronoa. "Forget the how and why, then. Is the picture at least cool?"

The elder swordsman stopped walking and stared at Sanji for a several long seconds. Finally, he shook his head.

"Nope," Roronoa sighed to himself, walking on ahead. "Even I'm not that cruel."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Sanji shouted. "You know what? I bet my picture is freaking gorgeous and you're just jealous. I bet the ladies are lining up all over the world just meet me!"

Roronoa just snorted, sending Sanji into fit of unintelligible angrish.

The search party traveled in relative silence for a long while after that. Other than passing large jagged rocks that popped up along the beach at random, there wasn't much to see except the ocean, the rest of the beach, and the jungle to their left. Thankfully the weather was nice and the sun showed no signs of setting. However, this didn't change the fact just walking quietly was boring, and Luffy neither liked nor had the patience for boring quiet in the slightest.

" _Oh, the island in the south are warm_ ," Luffy started to sing off-key. " _And their heads get really hot. They grow-a pineapples, they grow-a coconuts... and they're morons!_ "

The crew winced- Chopper even flattened his ears against his hat- at their captain's horrid singing.

"Next verse!" Luffy announced, waving his walking stick. " _Oh, the islands in the north are snowy, and their heads get really cold..._ "

"Luffy!" Nami interrupted. "Forget discretion. If we talk about something _quietly_ , will you promise _not_ to sing?"

"Okay!" he agreed. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I have a topic," Roronoa jumped in. "What's this about you guys hearing voices in the fog? Is it true?"

The inquiry was entirely out of left field and it took a several seconds to register with the present Straw Hats.

"We did," Chopper said at last. "We thought they were ghosts, until Nami and Sanji heard voices of people they recognized."

"Why do you ask?" Nami asked. "Didn't your crew hear voices as well?"

"We didn't, unless you count the sound of Usopp hyperventilating," Roronoa replied. "But that's pretty normal."

"How did you know we heard voices if you didn't hear any yourself?" Sanji asked suspiciously. "We never talked about it in front of you."

"Zoro told me last night," he replied. He grimaced. "It's still weird."

Chopper looked between his friends, apprehensive. "Were we keeping that secret? If we were I didn't know. I'm sorry!"

To his credit, they weren't keeping it a secret. It was just most of the crew had been actively trying _not_ to think about the voices- especially after hearing their own speak within the rainbow fog.

"Nah, you're fine, Chopper," Luffy said to the little reindeer's relief. He twirled his walking stick in his fingers. "The voices were really annoying at first. They said we were weak and powerless, and sand would bury us."

"The voice who said that last part sounded just like Crocodile," Sanji pointed out. "Like Chopper said, we thought he was a ghost for a minute there."

"Crocodile was still alive last I saw him," Roronoa recalled. "Beaten to hell, but alive. Who else did you hear?"

"After Crocodile, it was just a bunch of random phrases from people we didn't recognize," Nami answered. "It was like the fog was breaking into the middle of their sentences. But then we heard Hatchan's voice-"

"Hachi's voice too?" Roronoa asked, sounding surprised. "What was he saying?"

Nami's eyes widened and she stumbled mid-step before regaining her balance.

 _Did... did he just call him_ Hachi _?_ Nami thought. _Maybe I misheard him. There's no way he called him_ Hachi _so casually_.

It was Hatchan's nickname, true, but the only people he let call him that were his _close_ _friends_. Why in the name of everything holy was one of her precious crewmates speaking of _freaking Hatchan_ so amicably?

"Nami dear?" Sanji said. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay? You look a little pale."

"Nami's pale?" Luffy gasped. "Oh no! Is she sick again?!"

"You can't relapse from Kestia; it must be something else!" Chopper exclaimed. He shifted into Brain Point, dropping all the supplies he carried, and held up his medical bag, "Sit down and rest! Do you want me to take your temperature? Do we need to turn back?"

"Guys!" Nami broke in. "I'm not sick! I'm perfectly fine!"

"You sure?" Luffy asked. "Really sure? You said were fine before too."

Nami glanced over her shoulder toward Roronoa, who stood at the back of the group with a calm expression. However, there was something akin to an _apology_ in his eye. She may not have the ability to have entire conversations with just eye contact like he seemed to do with Luffy, but even she could tell that much.

Zoro never apologized, not really. Not to her.

"… I'm sure," she confirmed. "If I were feeling sick, I'd tell you. I promise."

"We're holding you to that," Sanji said, uncharacteristically stern. "The first time around was scary enough."

Chopper slipped his bag back on and returned to Walk Point, allowing Sanji to put the dropped supplies back on his back. "Tell me if you start feeling ill again, alright?"

Nami nodded. "Alright. So, uh, where were we?"

"You were about to tell me what Hatchan's voice said in the fog," Roronoa reminded her.

If any of the Straw Hats noticed the change in name-use, they kept it to themselves as they began walking again.

Nami swallowed the lump in her throat. "Um, yeah. If I recall correctly, he talked about promising something if whoever he was talking to saw someone shot before their eyes."

She remembered the out-or-breath, pained tone Hatchan's voice used. If he hadn't been one of her tormentors for the last eight years, she might have felt sorry for him.

The navigator was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't notice Roronoa had once again stopped. Everyone else stopped too as soon as they noticed (though Sanji had to tap Nami on the shoulder get her attention).

"Zoro-pops? Why'd you stop?" Luffy asked.

"You know, we're not going to make much progress if we keep stopping like this," Sanji said, taking an annoyed drag of his cigarette.

"Nami, were Hatchan's exact words, 'you promised, that even if someone was shot before your eyes, you would not lay a hand on…'?" Roronoa trailed off, ignoring the others and focusing entirely on her.

"How did you know that?" Nami asked, incredulous.

"The octopus' voice said the first part, but where did that second part come from?" Sanji asked.

Roronoa didn't reply. "Tell me something else one of the voices said."

"Let's see," Nami thought back. "I think Vivi told me she heard a woman's voice cry out 'I want to live-'"

"-'take me with you, take me away from here,'" Roronoa finished along with her. He ran a hand through his hair, agitated. "Damn, even _that_?"

"Whoa, Zoro-pops! How do you keep doing that?" Luffy asked excitedly. "Why didn't you ever tell me you were psycho?"

"I thought that was a given," Sanji snickered despite himself.

Roronoa shot him an unusually fierce glare, which was enough to make the chef cough awkwardly into his hand and look away.

Chopper went up to his captain and said, "Luffy, I think you mean psy _chic_ , not psy _cho_."

"Yeah, that," Luffy said as tapped his fist into his palm. He turned back to Roronoa. "Is that how you know what the voices said? It's really freaky."

"I'm not psychic, Luffy," Roronoa corrected. "I know what they said because _I was there_ when their owners said them."

The past Straw Hats eyes all widened simultaneously. " _WHAT_?!"

Roronoa tiredly squeezed the bridge of his nose. "I don't know how, but I think the mist made you hear things that were said to you in the future."

"Are you serious?!" Chopper asked. "We heard our voices too! I heard myself say I was going to be a more reliable man."

"My voice called someone flighty and scolded them for not considering how others felt," Nami said.

"Usopp's fog voice said this place wasn't hell," Luffy added. "And my fog voice was asking somebody what made them a god. I sounded _really_ pissed."

"I don't know about Nami's, but I do know Usopp's and Chopper's. And I can guess Luffy's by context," Roronoa said tensely. He had an odd look in his eye, like his mind was going a mile a minute.

As their conversation continued, clouds rolled across the sky and blocked out the sun, dimming the area considerably. It was also starting to get a bit foggy, though not the rainbow variety, thankfully.

"The first few voices we heard weren't too terrible, and ours were just kind of surreal," Sanji admitted. "After we heard our own though, it got disturbing- this one voice really stood out. The things it said were… troubling, to put it mildly."

"I'll say," Nami agreed. She looked at Luffy, who looked like he ate a lemon. "I know we've been trying not to think about it, but if these really are voices from the future, I have to wonder _why_ Ace's voice said those things. Do you think he gets into some kind of-?"

"Hold it," Roronoa broke in. The strange look intensified. "Did you say 'Ace'?"

"Don't interrupt Nami, you uncouth-!" Sanji started to rant.

Roronoa shot him another glare and Sanji shut up, but not without grumbling churlishly to himself.

"Forget the fog voices for a minute," Roronoa continued. "Did I just hear you say ' _Ace_ '?"

"Ace is the name of Luffy's big brother," Chopper explained. "We were all really-"

"I know who Ace is!" Roronoa snapped. "How do you all know that? You shouldn't yet."

Chopper flinched and darted behind Nami's leg. Nami soothingly patted his head and gave a glare of her own to Roronoa, who had the decency to look sheepish.

"Huh? Why not?" Luffy asked. "I told them about him before we went ashore."

"That wasn't how it happened for us," Roronoa explained. "We didn't learn you had a brother until you told us about him in Nanohana."

"That's the city Vivi said we'd visit first when we arrived in Alabasta," Nami remembered.

"That doesn't sound right," Chopper said, timid. "Luffy _just_ told us. Why would you forget by the time we arrive in Alabasta?"

"Why would I also forget coming to a freaked-up island between Drum and Alabasta?" Roronoa countered.

"Okay, time travel and moving islands— at the end of the day, we can dismiss those as Grand Line weirdness," Sanji said. "But just _forgetting_ everything that happens between coming here and leaving? It physically pains me to say this, but Mosshead was right- that's impossible. You have to remember _something_."

"I _don't_ ," Roronoa grit out.

"Has anything like this happened before?" Nami asked in an attempt to ease the situation. "Maybe there's a precedent."

"Not exactly. I _guess_ there was this time the crew woke up on an island with no memory of how we got there. Except for Luffy- he knew but refused to tell us," he replied. "But this is different. Not only did that happen after Robin joined, but I'm clearly aware I have a block of time missing from then.

"I'm _sure_ none of what's going on right _ever happened_. I shouldn't be on a time traveling island, and you guys shouldn't know who the hell Ace is."

Sanji eyed him warily. "You seem oddly fixated on Ace. Is it really that surprising?"

Roronoa scowled, then sighed- an action growing to be commonplace- and rubbed his wounded shoulder. The scowl faded into a tired expression.

"… No, I guess not," he said. "Forget it. Like Nami said before, fog voices and why things here are the way they are aren't important right now." He turned around and stepped forward- the _right_ direction for once. "We need to keep-"

"Do we meet Ace in Alabasta?" Luffy asked suddenly. "Is that why I tell you guys about him?"

Luffy had been rather quiet for a few minutes, and the question was unexpected. The rubberman was almost completely expressionless as he spoke, save for his narrowed eyes.

Roronoa let his hand fall and faced his young captain, his own eye narrowed. "It's a spoiler, Captain."

"Just this once," Luffy replied.

"… I guess the information's harmless enough," Roronoa admitted. He crossed his arms. "We met Ace in Nanohana. He was headed in the same direction, so he traveled with us for a couple days before leaving. That's it."

"Luffy, what are you doing?" Nami scolded. "After all the flack you gave us about asking questions, you go ahead and ask some of your own? How is that fair?"

Luffy's brow furrowed as he ignored Nami. He thought back to his dream. It made sense why he didn't recall some like that happening, no matter how real it felt; it hadn't happened yet, but it was _going_ to. His dream must have been about Ace's departure, however that worked.

It was real- and the things Ace's voice said in the rainbow fog were real too.

"Zoro," Luffy said in a serious tone. "Did Ace-"

" _LUUUUUUUUUUFFFFFFFY_!"

* * *

三

* * *

 _ **Earlier**_

Vivi was perfectly willing to admit she was a worrywart.

It was just in her nature when it came to the people she cared for. She worried at Whiskey Peak, she worried on Little Garden, and she worried _heavily_ on Drum Island— though she'd hardly been alone in her concern then. This time was no different. She paced the deck alongside Carue, worrying about her friends who had gone off in search of Roronoa's ship.

"Would you stop that?" Usopp barked. He stood at the base of the mainmast, goggles down and aiming his slingshot in random directions. "You're going to make a rut in the deck and I don't want to have to fix it."

"Only if you stop swinging that thing around," she replied sharply. "I'm already nervous enough as is and you're not helping."

"I'm under the threat of bloodthirsty hunters from the New World! I'm within my rights to be ready for anything!"

"With the way your arms are shaking, you're more liable to shoot one of us than a hunter. Pacing keeps me calm, so let me do it for now!"

"How about both of you put a sock in it?" Zoro's voice demanded from the crow's nest. "I'm not any happier about the arrangement than you are, but you don't see me bellyaching over it. Now pipe down; you're getting on my nerves."

The sniper and princess both winced, shared a glance, then sighed simultaneously.

"I'm sorry," Vivi apologized and stopped pacing. "We're all on edge and my attitude isn't helping. I'm just worried about the search team- I hope they make it to Mr. Roronoa's ship safely."

Carue nuzzled her side comfortingly.

"You're worried about _them_? They have two thirds of our Monster Trio and _Roronoa_ ," Usopp pointed out as he slid his goggle lenses up. "You should be worried about us! If the bounty hunters decide to attack we're screwed!"

Vivi cocked an eyebrow up at him. "I thought you wanted to be a brave warrior of the sea."

"I do! I just want to live long enough to become one!"

 _ **Thump!**_

The longnosed young man yelped and jumped into Vivi's arms. Luckily for him, it was only Zoro jumping down to the deck.

Usopp, once he realized it wasn't an enemy attack, glared at him. "Would it kill you to _climb_ down for once?!"

Zoro straightened out and shrugged. "It's faster."

"And you shouldn't be out in the open," Usopp lectured as Vivi set him down. He wagged his finger at the swordsman. "The bounty hunters may ignore us if only Vivi and I are spotted, but they'll _definitely_ pounce if they see you, Mr. Second-Highest-Bounty!"

"Once they realize Merry is the Straw Hat ship, they'll probably pounce anyway," Zoro retorted.

"You don't know that!"

"If everyonedidn't know that, why bother leaving me behind as back-up to begin with?"

Usopp's jaw worked up and down for a few seconds before he turned on his heel and sat down, disgruntled. "Well, excuse me for wanting to hope for the best."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Usopp," Vivi assured him. "It's just in this case, we need to be realistic about the situation and its outcomes. And unfortunately, one outcome may be fighting or making a quick escape. It depends on what's necessary."

Usopp went rigid. "I'm not abandoning Merry- not if the enemy wants to destroy her like Sanji said! What's wrong with you?!"

"No one said anything about abandoning Merry," Zoro said bruskly. "Even if she weren't our only ride off the island, I doubt Luffy would forgive us if we did."

At the mention of their captain, Usopp seemed to wilt. He began to trace aimless circles in the deck planks with his finger. Zoro and Vivi shared a glance before the latter stepped over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Usopp, is everything okay?" she asked.

"Besides the obvious, you mean?" Usopp deadpanned.

He wasn't even trying to proclaim how the 'Great Captain Usopp' was mighty and always okay. Vivi took a deep breath, schooled her expression, and sat down next to him.

"Don't be like that." Vivi chided gently. "I couldn't help but notice you've been acting strange all morning. You and Luffy are usually as thick as thieves, but today…?"

"You're acting like he's the one with a fatal disease," Zoro cut to the chase.

Vivi glared at him before turning back to Usopp. "We only want to know if you're alright. So what's up?"

Usopp looked between the pair, probably gauging their potential reactions. Finally, he groaned and rubbed his temple.

"You'll think I'm crazy," he muttered.

"We're on a time traveling island with my future self," Zoro deadpanned as he joined the other two on the ground. Carue followed suit, sitting next to Vivi.

"That's fair." The sniper sat up straight, resting his hands on his knees. "Did you guys have any weird dreams last night?"

"Weird dreams?" Vivi echoed. "I don't think so. Then again, I don't always remember my dreams. Mr. Bushido?"

"I dreamt I was in a gigantic forest last night," he recalled. He glowered. "A stupid-looking bird kept attacking me. Does that count?"

"Compared to the dream I had, I'd have preferred the bird," Usopp admitted. "It's the reason I'm avoiding Luffy."

With rapt attention, Vivi, Carue, and Zoro listened as Usopp described the dream.

 _It was nighttime. The dark sky was overcast, and Usopp was surrounded by rocky landscape and smoke. In the distance behind him- cityscape. To his side- the ocean and the Going Merry._

Oh, Merry, what _happened_ to you? _Usopp thought with a wince._

 _The Merry looked_ horrible _. She was barely held together by metal plates and mismatched planks. He knew the Grand Line was rough on the poor girl, but he didn't think she'd end up in such a dismal condition._

 _Upon closer inspection, he noticed Sanji, Nami, Chopper, and Zoro were on board by the figurehead. Nami looked distraught, Zoro looked distant, Sanji was scowling, and Chopper looked on the verge of tears._

What's wrong with them? _he thought._ And where's-?

 _"Gum-Gum_ Pistol _!"_

 _Usopp turned in time to see Luffy… and Luffy's fist launched directly at him. He tried to call out his captain's name, but found he couldn't speak. He couldn't move_ at all _and because of this he did nothing as the rubber fist rammed into his jaw and sent him flying._

 _Usopp had seen Luffy use this attack on many enemies before, but never had he ever been subject to it. And yet the actual hit itself didn't hurt as much as the fact he_ was _being subjected to it._

 _Now that he thought about it, Usopp realized his entire body hurt. He had on so many bandages he looked like a mummy. Not that Luffy looked much better—there was little of the rubberman that didn't bear burns, scratches, and blood._

Why are we hurt this bad? _Usopp thought._ Is it because we're fighting? Why the _hell_ are we fighting?

 _Luffy ran forward, stretching both of his arms behind him._

 _"It's time to put an end to this!" he growled. "Gum-Gum_ BAZOOKA _!"_

 _Usopp felt his body stand and take out a little pink shell. (Why was his body moving on its own?!) The attack hit the shell, and just like that all the force from it seemed to vanish. Usopp was surprised, and Luffy looked doubly so._

 _"Recognize this?" he heard himself say, his lips also moving on their own accord- he sounded_ angry _. "I bet that bazooka would've hurt. Let's find out!"_

 _Usopp surged forward and shoved the shell into Luffy's face._

 _"_ IMPACT! _"_

 _The pink shell seemed to release the force it absorbed from Luffy's attack. Luffy went tumbling backward, blood spraying from his mouth. It took all of Usopp's willpower not to scream, for he had now officially lost all feeling in his arm. He ended up screaming anyway._

 _He felt his body seize up as he hollered, "_ I WON'T LOSE TO YOU _!"_

 _Usopp was dumbfounded by his own words._ Why? _Why_ are we fighting? Luffy, talk to me! You're my best friend; why are we _hurting_ each other like this?

 _Luffy wasn't down for long. He quickly got on his feet, though he was breathing very hard. Usopp got on his feet also, struggling with every movement. Luffy stretched his arm backward as far as it would go._

 _"Gum-Gum..." Luffy cried out. "_ BULLET! _"_

 _Luffy's fist plowed into Usopp's stomach. The sniper didn't go flying. He coughed up blood and fell forward._

L-Luffy... _he thought hazily._ D-Did I do something wrong…?

 _He landed on his face, and for a few moments the scene was silent save Luffy's heavy breathing._

 _"You idiot," he heard his captain whisper bitterly. "You knew it would end like this! You knew you could never beat me!"_

 _Usopp didn't reply. Out of the corner of his rapidly-dimming vision, he saw Luffy stand and place his precious straw hat- which had fallen off at some point- back on his head._

" _Do what you want with the Merry," he said without emotion._

 _Usopp felt the tears drip down his cheeks._

" _So long, Usopp. It was fun… while it lasted."_

 _Darkness._

"Gods above and below," Vivi swore. "That explains a lot. Usopp, I'm so sorry."

Zoro said nothing in response, only fixing a hard gaze on the sniper.

"You know, I was relieved when Roronoa said my future self was with Nami's. It meant I was still a member of the crew." Usopp took a shuddering breath. "I love this crew; meeting Luffy was the best thing that ever happened to me. And by the look of things, _I_ was the one instigated the fight. And over the Merry?" He clenched his fists.

"Usopp, I can understand why you're upset, but you realize it's just a dream, right?" Vivi pointed out. "You and Luffy are some the closest friends I've ever met. There's no way you would ever fight like that."

"That's the problem. I've had crazy dreams before, but none have ever felt so real." He leveled a serious look at the princess. "I don't think it was one."

"Then, what, it was a memory?" she questioned. "Or a vision of the future? I know time seems to be the theme of the island, but you have to admit, even that seems a little-"

"Thousand Sunny."

Vivi and Usopp looked at Zoro, who wore a grim, thoughtful expression.

"When Roronoa woke up, he asked if he'd been brought to the 'Thousand Sunny,'" the swordsman continued. "He also kept looking at you and Luffy funny when you were gushing over the shipwright."

"… He did look like he couldn't believe where he was when he realized he was on Merry," Usopp remembered in a dead tone. "We have a different ship in the future, and that made me angry enough to challenge my best friend to a duel."

Zoro once again didn't respond, instead giving him the same hard gaze from before.

"That's enough!" Vivi snapped suddenly. She jumped to her feet and put her hands on her hips. "You have no idea if that's what happened! All you have is one scene from a dream with almost no other context! Do you think you have a strong bond with Luffy?"

"Yes," Usopp said without missing a beat.

"Then don't let an absurd nightmare let you doubt it! Besides, even if it _does_ somehow happen…" Vivi swallowed thickly. "Mr. Roronoa said you're still with the crew. That has to mean something, right?"

She was entirely focused on Usopp, and thus didn't see Zoro quirk an eyebrow at her words. At the same time, Usopp didn't meet the princess' eyes but a wane smile did spread across his lips.

"Yeah, I guess it does," he admitted.

Carue gave a happy squawk and threw his wings around the longnosed man. Unfortunately, the duck was too forceful and knocked him over.

"ACK!" Usopp gasped. "Carue, take it easy!"

"Quaaaw!

"That's the spirit, Carue!" Vivi praised.

Vivi was glad she'd eased Usopp's conscience, if only for the moment. The crew had too much going on to add surreal nightmares into the mix. Still, she would have to bring it up to the others at a more appropriate time. If it grew to be a persisting issue, they could always consult the young local girl or a member of her people once they found them. Until that time came, however, she knew the sniper was going to let the nightmare gnaw away at his thoughts.

She needed to figure out a way to get his mind off it, though she wasn't sure where to start. If the impending danger of a chronologically-deficient island and the New World grade threats it carried weren't enough to occupy his mind, what could possibly-

" _Yohohoho, Yohohoho, Yohohoho, Yohohoho..."_

Vivi froze and Zoro stood, hand grasping his Wado Ichimonji.

"Anyone else hear that?" the swordsman asked.

"Hear what?" Usopp asked in return, finally shoving Carue off his person.

Vivi shushed the boys. "Listen."

All four grew quiet and a moment later the same ethereal voice returned, carrying eerily across the water.

"… _all of the crew! It's time to ship out Bink's brew! Wave good-bye, but don't you cry, our memories remain…_ "

The voice faded. Its owner had moved too far away for the pirates to hear it.

"Was that _singing_?" Usopp asked. He started shaking. "You don't think it's the fog again, do you?"

Vivi and Zoro glanced around the sun-soaked deck of the Merry.

"No," Zoro said.

Vivi jogged over the railing facing the island's direction. "I can't be sure because of the rocks, but I think it came from ashore. The jungle, maybe?"

The trio and duck all met each other's eyes, and immediately Usopp threw up his arms in an 'x.'

"No way!" he hollered. "We are not going in there to check it out! We need to guard Merry! That's the whole reason we're here!"

"But Usopp, it could be one of Mr. Roronoa's crewmates!" Vivi reasoned. "Merry is well hidden; she'll be fine for a few minutes!"

"Or it could be one of the bounty hunters!" he argued.

"I don't think it is." Vivi held up a finger. "Remember what Mr. Roronoa said?"

" _Um, excuse me? Mr. Roronoa?" Vivi asked. "Before you go, are there any other details you can give us about your crewmate? You know, to make it easier to identify them?"_

" _What, was what I gave not good enough?" he asked._

"NO _!" came the resounding, unanimous reply._

" _Fine, geez. If you hear a woman making morbid comments, or men either declaring how super they are or randomly singing_ Bink's Brew, _it's them._

" _THAT DOESN'T TELL US ANYTHING!"_

"I've been on the sea long enough to know _Bink's Brew_ when I hear it, so it must either be Franky or Brook," Vivi concluded. "It's at least worth checking out. We can take Carue to shore."

Usopp fell backward, grasping at his throat. "Crap, it's my I-can't-go-ashore-or-I'll-die-disease! I don't think I can make it!"

"Three diseases in one day? You should ask Tony for a checkup when he gets back." Vivi shrugged. She climbed onto Carue's back. "Fine, stay and guard the ship. I'll go. Mr. Bushido, are you coming?"

"While I appreciate the show of faith, I think Zoro is of more use staying with-"

 _ **SPLASH!**_

Usopp choked on his own words as he saw Zoro was already in the water and swimming towards the island. His swords were tied on top of his head and everything.

Vivi gave him a mischievous smile. "You were saying?"

Usopp whimpered.

* * *

"Stop smiling like that."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You just stay there on your duck. I didn't come along because I was scared; I came here to protect you should Zoro prove insufficient."

"I appreciate the sentiment."

In the time it took for the trio- and duck- to reach land and venture into the jungle, it had grown extremely dark as clouds covered the sun. Usopp walked closely next to the mounted duck, once again aiming his slingshot in random directions while Zoro took the (closely monitored) lead. So far, their little search wasn't proving fruitful.

"I'm sure this is where the singing came from," Vivi said. "Where is he?"

"We just started. Give it time," Zoro said.

They walked further. The jungle started to get a bit misty too, but thankfully it was a normal shade of gray.

"Hey, Vivi? Zoro?" Usopp piped up.

"Yes, Usopp?" Vivi responded.

"I just had a thought," he whispered nervously. "What if the reason we can't find who was singing... is because it was a _ghost_?"

Vivi ordered Carue to halt while Zoro gave Usopp a slightly exasperated look and stated, "You _still_ think this island is haunted?"

"I'm just tossing around ideas!" Usopp insisted. "This island already has a backward sense of time; why shouldn't the living dead be a possibility?!"

"One has nothing to do with the other."

"You don't _know_ that!"

"And neither do _you_." Vivi sighed. "And people call me a worrier. I think the worse we have to be concerned about on this island are the bounty hunters. There are no living dead -"

 _ **Rustle, rustle.**_

" _Yohohoho_! Mr. Usopp, Mr. Zoro! I thought I recognized your voices!"

The group turned to see a figure step out from within the abnormally large bushes.

"I'm happy I finally found some familiar faces!" the figure said jovially. "I'm afraid I got myself a little lost; this island is quite confusing. Have you noticed the odd sunsets and sunrises? When I saw that sunset so early in the day, my eyes nearly bugged right of my head! Then again, I don't have eyes so they couldn't have anyway! _Yohohoho_!"

The group said nothing, not that they were actually listening. Their minds were still trying to process the sight before them.

"Oh," the figure went on, directing its gaze to Vivi. "And who would this lovely young lady be?"

It was tall, standing at over nine feet. It wore a trim back coat, blue cravat, flashy orange feather boa, and floral-print pants. Resting on its head were fancy pink sunglasses and a white hat combined with a crown. It had hair- a large black afro- but that was the only thing remotely human about it. It already said it didn't have eyes... only empty sockets. It didn't have ears, a nose, or any flesh for that matter.

Vivi and Usopp stared up in horror. Zoro's eyes were wide and his teeth were grit to the point of near-cracking.

"Excuse me, miss," the tall skeleton before them said, leaning towards the princess. "Would you be so kind as to show me your panties?"

Zoro drew Yubashiri.

" _AIIIIIEEEE_!" Vivi and Usopp shrieked. " _PERVERT ZOMBIE_!"

"AHHHHH!" the skeleton shrieked back, looking from side to side. "WHERE?!"

* * *

三

* * *

 _ **Now**_

" _LUUUUUUUUUUFFFFFFFY_!"

There were still questions, of course- the revelation of the fog voices and Roronoa's uneasiness regarding Luffy's brother being chief among them. However, they all took a back seat the moment the search team saw Vivi and Usopp charging down the misty beach on Carue.

The pair and duck had identical terrified expressions on their faces, Usopp to the point that fearful tears streamed down his face.

"Vivi, Usopp!" Nami called out.

"Vivi-dear!" Sanji shouted, jogging over to meet them. Roronoa, Luffy, Nami, and Chopper followed after him.

Vivi yanked on Carue's reins and the duck skidded to a stop. Unfortunately, the sudden force caused Usopp to go flying off the saddle. Roronoa caught him and immediately set him back up on his feet, only for him to nearly fall over again. The swordsman caught him by the strap of his overalls.

"Time island scary, time island scary, time island scary…" Usopp chanted catatonically.

Roronoa just frowned in confusion.

Sanji helped Vivi dismount, for she was too shaky to do it on her own. The moment she was off, Carue collapsed onto his side, petrified with terror.

The blond cook took the princess' hand in his own. "Dearest Vivi, are you alright? Why aren't you still on the Merry?"

"Usopp's here too, you know," Roronoa pointed out.

Sanji, of course, ignored him and went on right trying to soothe Vivi. Roronoa growled and began trying to shake Usopp from his stupor. Chopper did the same for Carue.

"Where's Zoro?" Luffy asked, looking around as though the younger swordsman was hiding. "Is he still with the Going Merry?"

"He's not here? He was right next to us- didn't he run too?" Vivi's hands flew up to her face. "Oh no, we must have left him behind!"

"He has a better chance than we did," Usopp said woozily. "So scary..."

"What happened? Was it the bounty hunters?" Chopper gasped. "Did Zoro get captured by bounty hunters?"

"Where are they?!" Luffy demanded. "I'll kick their asses!"

He probably would have ran off that very moment if Roronoa hadn't grabbed him by the back of his shirt. "Luffy, no. Before you go on a rampage, how about we let Vivi and Usopp tell us what happened?"

Luffy stuck out his lip poutily, but pulled himself free of Roronoa's grasp and looked at his friends expectantly.

"It wasn't bounty hunters," Vivi explained in a frightened tone. "It was much, much worse."

"Did the Marines show up?" Sanji asked. He tightened his hold on Vivi's hand. "Or Baroque Works?"

"Even worse than that!" Usopp continued.

"What's worse than the Marines, Baroque Works, or New World bounty hunters?" Nami asked. "Was it worth abandoning Merry _and_ Zoro?"

Vivi and Usopp looked at each other, then yelled, " _A ZOMBIE!_ "

 _"A_ ZOMBIE _?!_ " the Straw Hats yelled back.

"I told you this place was haunted! I _told_ you!" Usopp said, his legs knocking together furiously. "But did you listen to me? Does anyone _ever_ listen to me?!"

"We went into the jungle because we heard someone randomly singing _Bink's Brew_ , but then it just appeared!" Vivi explained. "It was awful! I didn't think zombies existed, but now-!"

"A real live zombie?' Chopper asked. "I've read about reanimation as a concept, but I didn't think it was medically possible! This is an amazing discovery! Totally scary, but amazing!"

"A real live zombie?" Luffy repeated with a large grin. "Awesome! Was he a musician?"

Nami yanked Luffy's ear and shrieked, "A ZOMBIE IS NOT JOINING OUR CREW!"

"But Zoro said if the zombie was a musician, we could take him into consideration!" Luffy whined, rubbing his ear.

"If Mosshead said it was okay, then we're definitely not doing it!" Sanji shouted. He held Vivi close. "Besides, that zombie assaulted my precious Vivi! If I see it, I'm sending it back to the grave in pieces!"

Vivi looked up at Sanji, then gently pushed him away. He chose to remain standing close to her.

"It technically didn't attack us," Usopp admitted, calmer. "We made a break for it before it could. I promise, we thought Zoro was right behind us. We were just focused escaping."

"If it didn't attack you, why did you run?" Luffy asked. "Maybe it just wanted to be friends."

" _We don't want to be friends with a zombie_!" Usopp and Vivi shouted together.

Luffy pouted again. Meanwhile off to the side, Roronoa watched the entire exchange with a sweatdrop.

 _They can't seriously be this oblivious, can they?_ _Then again, this_ is _Vivi I'm thinking about,_ he thought. Out loud he said, "Usopp, Vivi. Can I ask you something?"

Vivi and Usopp both looked at the time traveler, the latter saying, "Sure, I guess?"

"The zombie you met," he continued. "By any chance did he have an afro?"

"He did!" Vivi exclaimed. "A really big one!"

"The zombie has an _afro_ too?" Luffy asked. He chuckled gleefully. " _Shishishi_ , that's so cool! Now I really want it to join the crew!"

"What does a stupid afro have to do with anything?!" Nami shouted.

"Hey, never disrespect an afro!" Usopp declared. "It's a widely known fact afros hold untold power. This zombie will be quite the adversary indeed."

"Really?" Chopper asked. "I've never heard of afro power! Can you teach me about it?"

"Why of course, young Chopper! I happen to have a PhD in afrotology."

"Wow!"

" _Second_ question," Roronoa interrupted loudly on purpose. His eye focused on Vivi. "Vivi, when he saw you…"

"Yes?" Vivi prompted.

The swordsman grimaced. "… Did he ask to see your panties?"

The instant after he said that, Roronoa's hand flew up and caught Sanji's foot.

"Damn it, Roronoa!" Sanji ground out, nearly biting his cigarette in half. "Let me kick you for crying out loud!"

"I second that demand!" Nami agreed, face beet-red.

"If he stops being so predictable, _maybe_ I'll let him," Roronoa replied, only the slightest bit smug. He pushed the offending foot away.

Sanji stumbled but quickly regained his footing. "Apologize for saying such a crude thing to Vivi, you clod!"

"Hey, I wasn't the one who originally said it," the elder swordsman said with a half-shrug. He turned back to Vivi. "Well? Did he ask that or not?"

Vivi and Usopp stared at Roronoa, gaping like fish.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said wearily. "You guys are morons."

"Oi, don't call Vivi a-!" Sanji started to protest.

"You went into the jungle chasing after someone randomly singing _Bink's Brew_ ," the swordsman continued, ignoring the cook. "And the person you found had an _afro_ and was a _pervert_."

Sanji's protest died in his mouth. The rest of the group's collective jaws dropped as they too made the connection. The only one who didn't was Luffy, who practically vibrated in place from excitement instead.

"He's a little off-putting, but I guarantee Zoro's not in any danger from him. Not unless he brings it on himself," Roronoa assured them. "I can't believe you didn't-"

He froze mid-sentence— anyone watching closely would have seen his pupil shrink to a pinprick. Without a moment of further hesitation he drew Shusui and the slashed backward.

The Straw Hats were shocked to see a _freaking cannonball that had come of nowhere_ get sliced in half, pieces soaring into the woods on either side behind them.

 _ **KABOOM!**_

The explosion rocked the ground, making the pirates stumble save Usopp and Nami, who fell on their rears.

"What the hell was-?!" Nami started to ask as Sanji helped her up.

"Everyone, move!" Roronoa drew Kitetsu and ran towards the shoreline. "Luffy, with me!"

Luffy followed. "Right!"

As the two pirates approached the water, the group could now hear faint booming sounds coming from within the foggy waters. The booms were accompanied by dozens cannonballs shooting into view. Sanji and his group immediately scrambled out of the line of fire.

"Gum-Gum _Balloon_!" Luffy shouted, inflating his body until it was indeed as fat and round as a balloon.

Roronoa effortlessly sliced his share of the enemy projectiles in two, the remaining halves exploding harmlessly in the trees. The cannonballs that hit Luffy bounced back in the direction they came, though the fog made it impossible to tell if they actually hit anything.

"Where are these coming from?!" Sanji shouted. He was shielding Nami with his body. Carue had Vivi and Chopper- who'd morphed back into Brain Point- covered, and Usopp hid behind one of the massive tree roots.

Usopp stood up as far as he dared and lowered one of his goggles' lenses. After a moment, he thrust a finger forward towards the water. "Here they come!"

Like a phantom, a ship emerged from the mists and approached the beach, cannon fire ceasing as it sailed closer.

The ship was an enormous galleon. The upper exterior of the ship had thick steel plates, most likely for protection, and the figurehead resembled a snarling ape. Dozens of gun ports were visible in the exterior and just as many nasty-looking cannons were along the rails— there was even one with _three barrels_ under the figurehead. And if the weapons were nasty, the people manning them looked downright sadistic. On the sails and flag, there was a jolly roger of a grinning monkey skull with two rifles crossed behind it.

The rest of crew ran up to join Roronoa and Luffy, the latter having already deflated.

Roronoa snarled. "I recognize the flag. That's the ship that attacked my crew before we got stuck here."

"T-They're bounty h-hunters?" Usopp stuttered. "From t-the New W-World?"

"Zoro-pops," Luffy said, a grin creeping on to his face. He cracked his knuckles. "We can fight these guys, right?"

"Absolutely not," Roronoa replied. He kept his eye on the ship, his voice baring a dangerous edge. "You and the others just stay back, okay?"

Luffy frowned but, remembering his earlier promise, didn't argue. He and the others took a few steps back, though those that had weapons drew them just to be safe.

As the ship drew nearer, gigantic grappling hooks suddenly fired from the figurehead's mouth, latching high onto the trees. A loud cranking sound filled the air as the ship was dragged closer to the beach. Soon the galleon stopped, the keel just touching the pink sand. The crew could see someone standing on top of the figurehead who then jumped down to the beach and nimbly landed on his feet.

It was an extremely muscular man with a thick torso and thin legs. He had a shaved head and there wasn't a single patch of visible skin that didn't bear an elaborate tattoo. He had a huge broadaxe slung across his back and brass knuckles on each hand. He smiled smugly at the pirates as more people started climbing the down the sides of the ship on rope ladders to join the tattooed man.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" he asked with a sneer. "We were given orders to sink a pirate ship, and instead we come across the actual pirates. Aren't we lucky?"

 _Looks like we were right on the money then_ , Roronoa thought, eye narrowed. _They are looking for a Straw Hat ship, though going off that jab they haven't found Sunny yet._

"Whooooooa!" Luffy crowed. "Look at that guy! He's so colorful; I didn't know people came in that many! So cool!"

The entirety of the rubberman's crew present face-palmed, except Chopper, who was also marveling at the man's tattoos, and Roronoa, who now looked like he'd bitten into something bitter.

"Thank you! My tattoos are my pride and joy; they took years to complete," the man boasted. "My name is Oakes, leader of the Silverback's Protection Unit, and I- WHY THE HELL AM I HAVING A FRIENDLY CONVERSATION WITH YOU?! YOU'RE A FILTHY PIRATE!"

Luffy burst into laughter while his friends stopped facepalming and started sweatdropping at the hunter's reaction. Chopper joined them this time.

This _is a New World Bounty Hunter?_ they all thought.

One of the lackeys who joined Oakes on the beach walked up next to him with a stack of yellowed papers. "We've identified most of them, sir."

"Good," Oakes said tersely. "Read them off."

The lackey nodded and started by pointing at Luffy. "We have 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy..."

Luffy's grin threatened to split his face.

"...'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro..."

Roronoa gave him the evil eye.

"...'Cat Burglar' Nami..."

The navigator's hands flew to her face. "No!"

"...'Cotton Candy Loving' Chopper, their pet..."

Chopper's jaw dropped. " _P_ _et_?"

Sanji and Usopp snickered at the cutesy epithet. At the same time, Oakes' cocked an eyebrow at the last two names, but didn't comment.

The lackey gestured towards Vivi and Carue. "… These two are unidentified..."

Vivi breathed a sigh of relief. She already knew she didn't have a bounty, but it was still nice to hear it.

Usopp was pointed at next, and the sniper stiffened. The lackey stared hard at the piece of paper (presumably a wanted poster) he held. "...I'm not entirely sure who that guy is, but going off the nose, I'm _guessing_ he's 'King of the Snipers' Sniper King without his mask on."

Usopp's felt like his heart was going to stop. _Crap, the whole point of me being on the Merry was so I wouldn't be recognized! He still knew who I was! I'm gonna- did he just call me 'Sniper King?_ '

The lackey finally got to Sanji, who actually looked excited to hear what his epithet was. However, the lackey gave the cook a blank stare.

"Something wrong?" Oakes asked.

"...I have no idea who this dude is," he admitted.

Sanji's excited smile changed into the face of someone who'd been punched in the stomach. The stooge knew who everyone else was- even the reindeer! He knew he had a bounty in the future, so why wasn't he recognized?

Oakes took the paper from his colleague and examined it. "Hmm… he could be 'Black Leg' Sanji. They have the same curly eyebrow."

The lackey raised an eyebrow at the paper. "If that's true, then the Navy _really_ needs to update his photo. Or hire a better sketch artist."

Roronoa made a quick grunt that sounded like a poor attempt to hold back a laugh.

 _That's it,_ Sanji thought. _Orders or no orders, I'm_ going _to see my poster_.

Oakes shrugged and hefted his axe off his back. "Whatever, I'm sure we can get something for him. Anyway, I don't see Devil Child, Cyborg, or Humming Swordsman here, but there is still a good 643,000,050 berries in bounty before me. It's still lucky for us."

"Good for you; you know public information," Roronoa said dryly. "So what's this all about? I heard that red-eyed bastard say my crew wasn't a priority anymore. You trying to multitask?"

"Ah, you _did_ come across Mr. Vaughan then? I'd gotten a report he killed you, but I guess they were greatly exaggerated. I should've known; it just didn't sound like his style." Oakes shrugged again. "As for your crew being a priority or not, things have changed. I'm under explicit orders to locate and capture your crew. With this many of you here, I'm bound to get nice promotion out this." His eyes scanned the crew critically. "… Especially if I bring in, as it would appear, Runo's escapees."

"Escapees?" Roronoa echoed.

Oakes ignored Roronoa this time and brandished his broadaxe at Luffy. "What do you say, Straw Hat? Come quietly and I promise I'll make this as painless as possible. I guarantee you won't get such an offer from my superiors."

"No way in hell, Tattoos!" Luffy shouted, taking a fighting stance. "I'll beat you into the ground before you can even come _near_ my crew! We'd like to see you try it!"

"No, we wouldn't!" Usopp, Nami, and Vivi argued.

"I'll protect you, Nami-swan and Vivi-darling!" Sanji cooed.

"What about the rest of us?!" Usopp shouted at him.

"Eh, you'll be fine."

" _Pet_?" Chopper moaned. He was still on that.

"Oi!" Roronoa interrupted. "Settle down! You promised no fighting unless I said so, remember?"

"Come on, Zoro-pops! I just want one punch!" Luffy complained. "Then he's all yours!"

"No means no, Luffy!"

"Hey, who's the captain here?!"

Oakes laughed at the exchange. " _Tattattatta_! Good for you, Straw Hat! I like my targets to have attitude and guts! I promised everyone on this boat free reign with your crew, so you're getting a fight whether your first mate wants it or not- not that you'll win.

He raised his axe in the air. "I don't care what you're famous for; Kāla will be the island of your defeat!"

A loud gasp came from within the Straw Hat group. Everyone turned to Vivi, who looked stricken. Carue was hugging her shoulders in an attempt to calm her.

" _Kāla_?" Vivi asked. "Is _that_ where we are?!"

"You know it, Vivi?" Luffy asked.

"I do, but now is hardly the time to explain," she replied.

"Tell us if we get of this alive?" Usopp offered weakly.

"Relax, Usopp," Luffy told him. "It's like I said, I'm strong. I can protect us if I have to."

" _You_? That's _adorable_!" the wanted poster lackey mocked.

Luffy turned back forward and tilted his head. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The lackey smirked conceitedly. "Our boss used to be a marine, you know. He said he saw you at Marineford and let me tell you, he was _not_ impressed."

Luffy had no idea what Marineford was, but going off how the rest of his friends were now staring him in horrified astonishment, it had to be important. That being said, since everyone was now paying attention to that lowly bounty hunter, they failed to notice a steely gleam appear in Roronoa's eye.

"I think you _kind_ of missed the point of being there, dude!" the wanted poster lackey went on, visibly holding back laughter. "Good effort, though!"

For some reason this sent many of the bounty hunters on the beach into spiels of laughter, as well some of the ones listening from the ship's sides. Luffy didn't get it beyond it being a mystery future thing. And thus he didn't want to know what it meant. The whole point of his gag order on Roronoa was to prevent himself from learning about his upcoming adventures. It was bad enough these guys spoiled his crew's future epithets for them— after all, to Luffy seeing what name you got on the wanted poster was half the fun.

 _ **SHING!**_

He would have told the bounty too, if their galleon hadn't abruptly _split in half_.

* * *

三

* * *

The pair looked in the direction of the sudden noise- like something big and heavy crashing into the ocean.

"How much want you wanna bet Luffy's that way?"

"Now, now, that's a sucker's bet. Our captain is quite the rambunctious fellow."

"Yeah, don't I know it. Let's go."

"Of course… but you're going the wrong way."

"SHUT UP!"

* * *

三

* * *

Aside from the _shing_ , there was no warning.

One second, the ship was in one piece and the bounty hunters were laughing. The next, it was in two pieces and the crew was screaming, especially those who got cut up along with their vessel. The back half dipped backwards into the ocean, causing many hunters who'd been on deck to fall off. The front half fell towards the beach, forcing Oakes and the men with him to dive of out the way. The front half was big enough that the figurehead got snagged on one of the trees.

The pirates and princess stared at the scene in shock and awe.

"… What just happened?" Usopp said, vocalizing what everyone was surely thinking.

"Good question," Nami said slowly, recovering from slack-jaw.

Chopper somehow recovered from his own shock and pointed his hoof at where the ship split. "Look at that- you see how smooth it is? It's like someone cut it with a giant knife!"

Sanji couldn't stop staring at the shipwreck as memories flooded into his mind. "It's like that one time..."

"What one time?" Vivi asked numbly.

"I once saw Hawkeye Mihawk cut a galleon just like this one in half with only a sword," the chef explained. "They look exactly the same."

"But... how?! Not only is it _humongous_ , it has steel plates reinforcing it! Who can cut steel that easily?" She turned to Luffy. "Luffy, what do you- Luffy?"

The rubberman had stars in his eyes shining so brightly it was actually hard to look at him. He was completely overwhelmed by the coolness of the moment.

"That… was… _AMAZING_!" Luffy hollered. He waved to the side. "Zoro-pops, did you do this?! You're just like that Hawkeye guy; you're AWESOME!"

The Straw Hats followed his line of sight to the left where Roronoa now stood. He had _somehow_ run over there without the others noticing, feet planted into the sand in disciplined stance. He had also sheathed Kitetsu and now only held Shusui out in front of him.

The corners of his mouth were upturned in satisfaction.

"HE _CUT THE SHIIIIIP_?!" the Weakling Trio hollered together.

Vivi and Carue could only continue to stare in wonderment.

 _He's really grown that much stronger…_ Sanji thought, sweat coating the back of his neck. _Like Luffy said, he did the same thing Mihawk did-_

A charge ran up the chef's spine. _Holy crap, he did something_ Mihawk _did. I know he's only from two years in the future, but is it possible he's already-?!_

"WHAT THE IN HOLY BLUE HELL WAS THAT?!" Oakes shouted suddenly, pulling himself out of the sand. His men followed suit. He jabbed his finger towards Roronoa. "You! _You_ did this! Why?!"

Roronoa gave Shusui a twirl before sheathing it and giving the bounty hunters a bored look.

"It was an eyesore," he said.

"Oh, I see," Oakes agreed. "I never liked it myself. The figurehead's hideous and I always thought the- WHY THE HELL AM I AGREEING WITH YOU?! THAT'S NOT A GOOD REASON!"

Luffy started to guffaw, and the rest of group once again sweatdropped.

"Why are you so surprised? I _am_ a pirate." The swordsman smirked. "Besides, you want to turn in my crew to the government. You can't do that if you can't leave the island."

Oakes sputtered as his face flushed with rage. Roronoa had just turned their own strategy against them.

"Very clever," the tattooed man seethed. "Unfortunately for you, nobody screws with the Carrion Bounty Hunters and gets away with it!" He pointed his axe at the swordsman. "Forget the others and _kill him_!"

Roronoa rolled his eye as the hunters roared and charged, weapons drawn. Quick as wink, he drew all three swords, placing Wado in his mouth. He waited until the enemy was _just_ close enough, then _struck_.

"Three Sword Style," he said around the hilt of his katana. He raised his blades and swung. " _Black Rope: Tatsumaki_!"

The name of the attack sounded familiar to the Straw Hats, and some had even seen their own Zoro use it before— but never on this scale. The spinning motion accompanied with Roronoa's swing actually created a _twister_. Hunters screamed and bled as they were sent flying into the air, their weapons shattering from the cyclone of slashes.

And it wasn't stopping.

" _AWESOOOOOOOME_!" Luffy declared, joined by Usopp and Chopper who couldn't help themselves.

"There has to be at least twenty of those guys," Nami observed in disbelief. "And he took them out in one move."

"That's our Mosshead- reckless to a fault," Sanji commented with an almost nervous tone.

"… Does he look okay to you guys?" Vivi asked.

There were some blinks of confusion, but now that princess pointed it out, Roronoa _didn't_ look okay. He walked away from the twister as stoic and badass as ever, but his normally tanned skin was ghastly pale and even from a distance they could tell he was panting.

"His injuries, maybe?" Nami theorized.

"They weren't _that_ bad!" Chopper said. He shifted to Heavy Point and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Roronoa, are you alright?!"

"Don't distract him, idiot!" Sanji scolded him.

Whether Chopper distracted him or not, Roronoa was still able to get his swords up in time to block Oakes' axe from splitting him down the middle. For the moment they were at a stalemate as their respective blades scraped against each other.

"Looking tired there, Pirate Hunter!" Oakes taunted. "Need a break?"

"You wish," Roronoa retorted.

Oakes studied the swordsman closely, and when he briefly glanced down he caught a glimpse of glowing pink veins creeping up the right side of his neck from under his clothes.

"Ah, Ms. Yari. That makes sense," he noted in _sotto voce_. "How can you fight in your condition?"

Roronoa let a sadistic shark grin grace his lips. And with that, the time traveler's muscles bulged as he exerted the force needed to slice Oakes' axe blade to pieces.

"What the-?!" Oakes started to curse as he reeled back.

He didn't get a chance to finish because Roronoa jumped into the air using his face a launching point. Once up, he glared down at the bounty hunter and raised his swords over his head.

" _Ultra Tiger Trap_!"

As the blades came down and Roronoa along with them, streams of blood sprayed from Oakes' chest. The hunter's eyes rolled into the back of his head and his mouth opened in a soundless scream.

"My condition's not the one you should be worried about," the Pirate Hunter said coldly.

Oakes fell backward just as the _Tatsumaki_ vanished and bodies dropped onto the beach and into the sea.

Roronoa gave the body one last glare, resheathed his swords, and walked over to his friends.

"That was incredible!" Luffy cheered, wildly gesturing his arms. "You were all _whoosh_ and they were _gaaaah_ and it was totally epic!"

Roronoa snorted at the display. "I aim to please, Captain."

Luffy placed his hand on his hip and pointed behind the swordsman. "You gonna take those guys down too, or can we have a turn now?"

Roronoa looked over his shoulder to see over a dozen more bounty hunters crawling out of the water and from the shipwreck. It appeared his earlier destruction of the ship hadn't been enough to take them all out.

"You'll pay for that, bastard!" one of the guys in front shouted as the group stalked towards the pirates.

Roronoa exhaled loudly and moved to draw Shusui. "Hold on."

Chopper clapped a furry hand over Roronoa's, leaning down to look him in the eye. "Don't even think about it, Roronoa! Sit down and let me treat you!"

"I'm fine, Chopper!" Roronoa argued, hitching the collar of his coat up. "I can still beat these guys."

"Or maybe you could let someone else take a shot," Sanji said, trying (and mostly succeeding) to keep the quiver from his words. "Plenty of offense, Mosshead, but you look ready to keel over."

"Yeah, he's right!" Luffy added. "You beat them really easily, so I think that means we're about even with them. Let us try!"

Roronoa was ready to argue the point, but suddenly he stopped. His eye widened a fraction and he smirked.

"No need, Luffy," he said, turning toward the approaching hunters. "It's about to be taken care of."

The Straw Hats looked at each other and were about to ask what he meant by that when-

" _Yohohoho_! Mr. Zoro!"

-Vivi and Usopp went rigid. They knew that voice.

The bounty hunters were just as surprised as the parted and turned to look at the mystery speaker. The crew could clearly see the flashily-dressed skeleton standing behind their opponents.

"That's it!" Usopp shouted, pointing. "That's the zombie!"

"He found us already?!" Vivi cried out. She chewed her lip. "And it's actually…?"

Nami's eyes were wide with fear. "It's real? That thing is really real and on our…?"

The medical side of Chopper's mind immediately began to label all the bones visible to him, although outwardly he was shaking like a leaf.

Sanji's expression was halfway between terrified and pissed. Terrified of the walking, talking skeleton, and pissed that this was the same crappy pervert who asked to see Vivi's underwear.

"He really does have an afro!" Luffy said with zeal. "He's a real skeleton with a real afro! _Shishishi_ , this is the best day ever!"

"I beg to differ," Zoro commented dryly.

"I'm with Zoro, it's- ZORO?!" Usopp shouted, pointing at the younger swordsman.

Somehow, Zoro was now standing behind the group and wearing a tired, slightly bewildered expression on his face.

"Where did _you_ come from?!" Nami snapped, gesturing furiously at him.

"Where the skeleton was," Zoro replied.

"THAT'S NOT AN ANSWER!"

"Yohohoho, I'm glad to see everyone so lively!" the skeleton spoke up, garnering everyone's attention as it began to strut forward through the hunters. "I was starting to get worried!"

As it moved, spinning its purple cane with all the whimsy of person who _wasn't_ walking through a crowd of vicious enemies, the hunters talked among themselves about this new creature.

"Is that a skeleton?"

"No way, it has to be a mask."

"Skeletons can't walk. They're dead."

"Hey, isn't that Soul King? My sister has all his tone dials!"

"I'm so glad to have found you, Mr. Zoro," the skeleton continued conversationally, ignoring the bounty hunters. "Imagine my surprise earlier when I turned and you had simply vanished. It was a shock to my old heart... well, not that I have a heart anymore. _Yohohoho_!"

Roronoa rolled his eye, annoyed, and called over, "You're the one who got lost, not me. Where have you been all this time? Is anyone else with you?"

"I've been wandering the jungle looking for Mr. Lion, and no one besides that young man I arrived with," it replied, coming to a stop in front of the crowd. "I did see Mr. Usopp, but he ran for some reason."

The skeleton chuckled, glancing at the gathered crew. "I don't see Ms. Robin or Mr. Franky anywhere, but it looks like you managed to collect everyone! That's great! Now, when were you going to tell us you had a younger brother?"

Roronoa's eye twitched. "It's more complicated than that."

"You don't say?"

"Um, Zoro-pops?" Luffy piped up. "Can we fight now? Just standing here is boring."

"There's no need to," Roronoa reminded him. "I already said it's taken care of."

"What do you mean there's no need to?!" the lackey in front shouted. "We still here and we're ready to slaughter every last one of you!"

"There's no need to because you gentleman have already been defeated," the skeleton answered simply.

"Eh?"

The mist coating the beach started to grow colder, gaining an odd blue hue to it. It sunk into everyone's pores, chilling them from the inside out.

"This chill," Nami shivered. "I didn't sense a change in atmosphere. It isn't natural."

The skeleton held up a sword and a section of its cane; they were one and the same, and yet the crew couldn't place the moment he'd drawn it.

Roronoa shook his head. "He always has to be the showman."

The skeleton began re-sheathing his blade, speaking to the hunters. "You've lost because I've already cut you. _Song of Scratches_ _..._ "

All of the bounty hunters stiffened. Frost spread across their bodies.

He slammed his sword into its sheathe. ". _..Blizzard Slice!_ "

Long cuts appeared out of nowhere on the hunters' bodies, but they released no blood. Only thick ice came bursting from these wounds, and all at once, the hunters fell to the sandy ground. The skeleton spun his cane one last time and planted the bottom of it into the ground.

"The cold you feel is the chill of the underworld," he said icily. "Remember it well the next time you contemplate threatening my crew _._ "

That last word echoed in the Straw Hats' ears.

 _His_ crew.

"Nicely done, Brook," Roronoa congratulated. He beckoned the Straw Hat musician over. "Now, come on. You have a lot to catch up on."

* * *

三

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED**_


	8. FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT- AND IT'S A GOOD ONE

... So.

After a day's worth of reflection, I have decided that my decision was a little too... extreme. (I'm not exactly the best example of grace under fire, and the exploit really got me scared. I admit- I panicked.) Thus I have come up with a compromise that should benefit all parties, especially since the FFN admins have finally started to fix the issues with the site.

I still intend to no longer be fully active on here- the issues being a continued thing are a deal breaker for me. Aside from favoriting stories, following them, and leaving the odd review you won't see much activity from me on here.

HOWEVER!

I will no longer be deleting _(New) Tomorrow's Romance Dawn_ from here. I've already recovered the original version, _Before Dawn_ , and _And Nothing But the Truth_ using the site's recovery function- I have a couple weeks to decide if I want to recover the rest. But since not everyone wants an AO3 account, here is what I'll do. Whenever I update on AO3, I will make an announcement on the story here saying that I've updated on AO3. That way you can read the new chapter on AO3. I allow guest reviews, so all reviews should be left there.

Again, my username on AO3 is **_TheOtakuWithHazelEyes._**

Once again, thank you all for your support and the kind words you left me when I made the initial announcement.

Sincerely,

 **The Otaku With Hazel Eyes** (Former **X-Chick303** , now **HazelEyesIsOut1234** )


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